The Young Apprentice
by Jezebel625
Summary: My first attempt. Dumbledore expands the apprentice program at Hogwarts and Snape is found spending much more time with his student than he likes. 'M' for chapters to come, and for strong BDSM themes. SS/OC & DM/OC Be nice if you R&R*Does not follow book*
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is done for my own personal enjoyment and nothing more. If you don't like it, that's alright by me as I'm writting it for fun. It takes place during Harry's 7th year, but does not follow the books at all. Anything you recognize is JK Rowling's, although Ava and Katherine belong to me... Muwahahaha... Enjoy! Also, as I've reread it, the first couple chapters are kind of slow, but it's getting better as it goes... Just my personal opinion though._

It was a normal summer morning for the beginning of August. Ava turned over in her bed roughly, causing a loud flopping sound to emit. The slightest hint of sunlight was peeking through her curtains which had been shut tightly the previous night, and a pale hand reached up and pulled a dark strand of hair out of her face. Emerald color eyes peeked through as she attempted to rub them into looking awake. "Ava!" Her mother's voice barely made it up the stairs, but it was enough to encourage her into climbing out of bed.

Traipsing down the wooden stairs, Ava's dark hair hung well past her shoulders, covering what her tank top didn't. A large, black owl was perched on the kitchen table with a couple pieces of parchment tied around its leg. It was enough to wake Ava up completely and she dove at the owl, causing it to ruffle his feathers at her and let out a clearly annoyed hoot. Untying the parchment quickly, the owl immediately departed as soon as Ava freed it from its delivery. The first parchment informed her of her school supplies that she would require for the following year, which she immediately threw on the table without giving it a second glance. It would ruin the surprise.

Smoothing out the second sheet on the table, Ava closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her entire summer had been filled with anticipation for this exact moment. It was her seventh year and she had applied for the potions apprenticeship the Hogwarts offered. It was available in all subjects, but extremely difficult to acquire. One had to have top marks in the class, every year, as well as an 'O' on their OWLS. Ava had achieved both of these things, surprising even herself. Potions had always been her passion and she had already looked at spaces in Hogsmeade, hoping to open up an apothecary upon graduating. Severus Snape, potions master at Hogwarts, was not the kind of man to give away the opportunity to just anyone, and never gave it to anyone that wasn't in his house. Once again, Ava had another thing going for her. For whatever reason the stars held, Ava had been placed into Slytherin. She was the only one out of a long line Gryffindors, and Snape seemed to enjoy reminding her of that fact at every chance he had. Trembling hands reached for the parchment as Ava opened her eyes again. While she wanted to read the last line, she refrained from doing so and forced herself to read the letter in its entirety.

_Dear Ava Coombs,_

_This letter is to inform you of the outcome of your application into the Potion Apprenticeship. You can imagine I received numerous applications, such as yours, and was forced to make a very difficult decision. However, I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the apprenticeship. This is, of course, a temporary position only. Should your work begin to falter, or I am unsatisfied with your progress, you will be removed for the position immediately and it will be refilled. I do not take this position lightly, and neither should you._

_Please read the enclosed parchment, where you will find all necessary items for the upcoming year. Some of these items can not be found in the kits, so take note and make sure you have everything that you will need. This class will begin on the first day of term and continue until the end of the year, provided you continue to show interest. Please make note that while I have put aside scheduled times for one on one research, you will have to be able to arrange your schedule accordingly. Some potions _

_may need to be tended to at various times throughout the day, and I expect this will be done without question. I look forward to seeing you first day of term._

_Sincerely,_

_Professor Severus Snape_

_Potions Master_

_Slytherin Head of House_

The parchment fell on the table and Ava immediately let out a shriek that only a seventeen year old girl could make when thoroughly excited. Both parents came running in and her mother immediately embraced her, while her father picked up the parchment and read it over, a proud smile creeping onto his face.

"Wonderful," he said, grinning from ear to ear. Ava returned the smile and her mother released her. "I'm sending out a few owls right now. I can't believe you made it in Ava! I'm so proud..." His voice faded away as he took off towards the library. Ava's mother smiled warmly at her and handed her the parchments.

"Well," she said with a sigh, her eyes glistening as she took Ava in. "I was going to take you off to Diagon Alley myself, but Angela and I were talking and we think you and Katherine should go yourselves. You're both of age now and….well… It's time you two acted like it. You get ready and I'll send an owl down the street and see what they're up to." Ava grabbed her mother and hugged her tightly before bounding up the stairs. Katherine, or as she preferred to be called: Kat, had been her closest friend since she could remember. They were the only two wizarding families in the area and their parents had gone through Hogwarts together. Although Kat had been sorted into Ravenclaw, Ava had always made an effort to maintain their friendship.

After a quick stint in the shower, Ava stood in her room and stared at her closet. After a few minutes of deliberation, she pulled on a black t-shirt and some jeans. Always being a stickler for the grungy look, the jeans had been ripped to shreds by means of her wand. They were, in fact, her favorite. Black tennis shoes were pulled on afterwards, and her hair was flattened out quickly. Heavy on the black eyeliner, Ava smiled in the mirror as she finished up. Grabbing her black bag of her bed, she ran down the stairs and back into the kitchen.

"Is she coming?" she asked her mom, who was standing at the counter.

"Yes, dear. Angela owled back. She said to head on down when you're ready," he mother smiled and pulled a black pouch out of her pocket. Looking around quickly, to make sure her husband wasn't around; she pushed the bag into Ava's hands. "Take this dear, but don't tell your father. You know how he is…. But buy something nice for yourself. Something that's not for school…" Ava smiled and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck.

"Thanks Mum," she said quietly. With a quick kiss on the cheek, Ava turned around and shouted out her goodbyes as she ran out the door.

The houses were only a few apart, and by the time Ava got halfway down, Kat was coming out the front door. The two could not have been a more unlikely pair, based on appearances alone. Kat's long, curly blonde hair shone brightly against her tanned skin. Blue eyes lightened up her face, and she was the epitome of a 'fashionista'. Perfect clothes, perfect hair; she was like a walking Barbie doll. Ava smiled, taking a quick glance down at her punky appearance and smiled. Despite everything, they were still friends and because of that, Ava knew they always would be.

"What's up, you little hussy?" Ava joked, pulling Kat in for a hug, but not before eyeing her ridiculously short skirt.

"Not much, you dirty brat," Kat replied, as she returned the embrace. No one made fun of their differences like they did themselves. Deep down though, they were almost the same person. Appearances could be deceiving, and they had chosen to express their insecurities in very different ways. Kat tried to hide them, while Ava tried to act like she didn't care. It worked.

"Got my potions apprenticeship… Can you believe we're in our seventh year?" Ava asked, pulling away and beginning to walk. Before Ava could even protest the look on Kat's face, as she knew what she was thinking, Kat was off and running.

"Oh my…. I am so shocked…. I told you, Ava. He so wants to have a go at you," a devious grin spread across her face as she let out a giggle. It had been a long running joke since the two of them began at Hogwarts, but mostly since Ava had been placed in Slytherin. It didn't bother her anymore, and Ava actually found it quite amusing at this point. In fact, on more than one occasion, Ava had blatantly flirted with the professor, just to get a rise out of Kat.

"Shove off," Ava said, rolling her eyes. "You're just saying that because you really have a secret crush on him. You're obviously jealous."

"Riiight… I'm totally jealous that greasy, nasty Snape has a crush on you… You lucky bitch."

"I knew it."


	2. Chapter 2

2

It didn't take long for the pair to reach Diagon Alley, via the Leaky Cauldron. The various shops still left Ava in wonderment, despite the fact the she was pureblood and had been raised a witch since birth. Apparently, Kat had caught the look on her face as she immediately jabbed her in the ribs with an elbow.

"Ow…. Bitch," Ava muttered, shooting her a mock-evil glare. Kat immediately laugh, and pulled her skirt down a little.

"Come on, love… You look like a first year," she replied, sticking her tongue out. Kat lead the way, taking off towards Flourish and Blotts. With a quick role of her eyes, Ava followed behind her as they entered the shop. They hardly were the only ones with the idea, as there was a line nearly out the door. Ava let out a heavy sigh, being the impatient type, but Kat seemed to bask in it. She was incredibly attractive, by conventional standards, and all male eyes seemed to be focused on her. Ava didn't mind at all, as she was perfectly content at playing the quiet friend. Being the center of attention had never been her thing. Kat stopped suddenly and Ava, who had been looking at the books, almost ran right into her.

"What the bloody hell?" Ava said loudly, causing a few heads to turn. Kat didn't move, but Ava found her way around her and stared up. Kat was a few inches taller than she, which only enhanced her extraordinary appearance. A smirk played across Kat's lips, which left Ava with a slightly confused expression. The look remained for only a second, as Ava followed her gaze across the shop. Once again, Ava rolled her eyes at her friend and let out a sigh. Screwing her face up into a grotesque look, she glanced back up at Kat.

"Honestly… I don't know what you see in the awful git. He's…. He's horrible," she said flatly, knowing full well that Kat wasn't paying attention. They had discussed this many times before, always ending with the same result. "Do you want me to go get him for you?"

"No," Kat replied, dreamily. "I prefer to watch from far away." Snapping out of the trance, Kat looked down at Ava and sighed. "You are so lucky… I bet he walks around the common room without a shirt on all the time. If he doesn't, he should. You can just tell he's got an amazing body…" Ava almost chocked on her own spit as she listened. Glancing back across the store quickly, she stared at Kat in amazement.

"Malfoy? Come on, Kat… You could do so much better than him. Honestly… He's arrogant, rude, selfish, ignorant, disgusting… Do you want me to go on? I can…" Kat shot her a perplexed look, as though they couldn't possibly be talking about the same person. Ava jumped in front of her in an attempt to block her view which, to her amazement, worked. Kat stared down at her once again and raised an eyebrow.

"You obviously don't get it," she said simply, almost like there was something wrong with Ava.

"Are you kidding me? Of course I don't get it! It's Malfoy! For all things magical, open your eyes! Once again, may I reiterate?... Arrogant, rude, selfish, ignorant, disgusting…. He's horrible and you're crazy if 

you want anything to do with him." Ava stood silent and realized that Kat was no longer looking at her, but was looking over her shoulder instead. Closing her eyes, Ava waited for the sound of his voice.

"Thanks for the compliments, Coombs. I have to say, I never knew you were so fond of me," came a familiar drawl behind her. After spinning around, Ava glared at him without even trying to hide her disgust. His infamous smirk was plastered on his face, and piercing grey eyes were burning into her. Most of the Hogwarts student body, and much of the faculty, would have been intimidated, but Ava was hardly the type to bow down to him.

"Sorry Malfoy… If I had known you were behind me, I would have said how I really felt. I was merely trying to let Kat down gently, but if you're ever interested I'd be glad to share it with you," Ava smiled sweetly, giving her best attempt at an innocent look. "You shouldn't sneak up on people though. Might hear something you shouldn't," she continued, smiling again when she was finished.

"As charming as you are, Coombs, I'm not here for you. I couldn't help but notice, as well as everyone else in the store, the entrance of the breathtakingly beautiful, Miss Katherine Sanders. My dear, may I?" Malfoy stepped around Ava as though she wasn't even there and extended his hand, offering it up to Kat as Ava glared at her from behind him. Not noticing at all, Kat placed her hand in his and the pair took off.

It took a moment for the reality to sink in as Ava stood, now alone, in the middle of the bookstore. Glancing around quickly, she sighed once again and headed out the store. Eyeing the line as she went, she decided on coming back later and took off towards the apothecary instead. Once she was inside, Ava pulled out the parchment from her bag and scanned the list. The familiar scent of the ingredients mixing together invaded her nose, causing her to scrunch it slightly as she scanned her list. All of the names were familiar, but a few left a perplexed look on her face. There were only a couple of them, but she knew for a fact that they could only be found down Knockturn Alley. Shrugging slightly, she lowered the parchment and began grazing the jars and bins scattered around. Lost in her own thought, she was almost knocked off her feet for the second time that day.

Catching her balance, her eyes slowly traveled up the black cloth in front of her as another familiar voice came from overhead. "Watch yourself," it hissed, venomously. Ava took a step back and let her eyes wander even further up. Then man turned around, and Ava's breath instantly caught in her throat.

"Sorry Professor Snape. I was kind of lost in thought for a second," she glanced back and forth between his eyes and the floor. The last thing she wanted to do was upset him before the school year began. Much to her surprise Snape's expression immediately softened, as much as he was capable of, and he was almost smiling. Understandably so, Ava was even more intimidated by this expression than an angry one.

"Miss Coombs. What a pleasant surprise," he said quietly, staring intently at her. "It appears you received my owl. I'm glad to see you're preparing yourself for the year a head, as I can assure you it will prove to be a challenging one." The look on his face softened even more and Ava was able to hold his gaze now. She was sure her confusion was written across her face, and wasn't surprised when he 

commented on it. "Miss Coombs, I will not tolerate an uncomfortable relationship. We will be spending a significant amount of time together this year, and I do not plan on it being awkward," he continued, without waiting for a response. His voice was gentle, yet he made his point. Ava nodded and flashed him a quick smile in an attempt to respond, as she wasn't quite sure what to say. Snape nodded in return, and brushed against her as he walked past. Before she could move though, he had turned around and was standing so close he was almost touching her. By the sound of his voice, he had bent down and was inches away from her ear. "I anticipate we're going to end up exceptionally close this year, Miss Coombs. Please do not disappoint me."

By the time Ava had turned around, Snape had vanished without a trace. It seemed to be a pattern that day, as she stood in the store with a perplexed look on her face. Sighing heavily again, she continued on with her shopping, as her mind furiously tried to unravel his statement.


	3. Chapter 3

3

The scarlet steam engine let out a loud whistle, signaling its departure. Ava and Kat were both hanging out of the train windows, waving frantically at their parents. Once the train had rounded the bend and was out of sight, Ava climbed back into her seat and sat down, watching as Kat followed suit. The pair hadn't spoken about their trip to Diagon Alley, which was how they usually dealt with things like that, so Ava had yet to tell her about her run in with Snape. Kicking her feet up on the seat next to her, as they were the only two in the compartment, Ava turned her head so that Kat was in her line of view.

"Are you, like, so totally excited? I can't believe it! We're totally seventh years now!" Kat shrieked, a genuine smile on her face. Ava rolled her eyes, yet followed it with a warm laugh.

"I am so, totally, unbelievably, super-duper, awesomely excited!" She let out, mocking Kat's voice. This was met with a rolling of the eyes from Kat, followed by a playful slap in the arm.

"Don't make fun of me, you rotten bitch! That's not very nice you know," she whined. Ava shook her head and stared out the compartment doors, watching the various students make their way down the aisle. After a moment of silence, Ava snapped her head back and locked eyes with Kat.

"I saw Snape in Diagon Alley," she said flatly, watching Kat's eyes widen. It was obvious that this piqued her interest and she made no attempt to hide it. As big as her eyes were, her look of astonishment only grew as Ava repeated their conversation.

"I told you Ava! It's so obvious!" she said, smiling widely. "He is so into you, it's ridiculous." Ava did a lot of eye rolling when Kat was around, and this time was no exception. Opening her mouth to protest, Kat cut her off before she got the chance. When she spoke, however, her voice took on a much more serious tone than before. This resulted in Ava looking at her again, but giving her the benefit of the doubt. It was rare that Kat talked to her this way but, despite first impressions, she was actually a fairly intelligent girl. "Ava, listen to me. We both have our strong suits, right?" Ava nodded, but Kat continued on as though she hadn't noticed. "I use my appearance and my flirty nature to capture the attention of the male species. You're a gorgeous girl, despite what you think, but your strength lies in your mind. The reason you don't like Malfoy or anyone else in our year is because you're way too advanced for them. You grew up years ago Ava. Maybe Professor Snape would be a good match for you. He obviously sees something in you," she said, flashing a knowing look at Ava who sat in silence for a minute. She had never given the idea any serious consideration, as it had always been a joke. Frowning slightly, she glanced back up at Kat.

"I don't know… I mean, that's… That's ridiculous Kat. Honestly…." Kat gave her an exasperated look, and Ava quickly got the hint. "I know, I know… Okay, fine, you've got me! The idea is enticing, in a weird way. However, it will never happen because he's a professor. Even if I wanted to, how would I go about doing it? 'Hey Professor… Want to have a go at it in your office? Or would you like to take me on this potions desk?'… I can't see that going over too well," she reasoned, raising an eyebrow at her. Kat immediately shrugged, as though it weren't a bad idea at all. "No," Ava said firmly, though a smile crept onto her face and she began giggling.

"You never know, dear. It might just work," Kat replied, giggling as well. Before the conversation could extend any further, the pair was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"What might work?" Malfoy inquired, leaning against the doorway of the compartment. Kat's gaze immediately got disgustingly sweet as she looked at him; Ava's was the absolute opposite.

"None of your business, Malfoy. What do you want?" Ava spat. He took a step into the compartment and then, gently sat down next to Kat. His arm lifted up and snaked around her shoulders, causing her to sink into his side. Without any further explanation needed, Ava closed her eyes and rested her head on the wall. Kat could do whatever she wanted, but it didn't mean Ava had to watch.

* * *

Much to her pleasure, the trip was exceedingly short as Ava had slept through most of it. She was woken up by Kat, shaking her shoulders violently, and the pair had quickly changed into their school robes. Malfoy had left, but was quickly reunited with the two and accompanied them up to the castle, much to Ava's dismay. Hoping to loose him at the feast, Ava was only more annoyed when he followed her up the Slytherin table and took the seat next to her. Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she snorted in disgust as he sat down. She could tell he was watching her and she made her best effort to pretend she didn't notice.

"Why don't you like me Coombs?" he asked, smirking at her. Ava glanced at him again but didn't answer. This obviously was the reaction he wanted, as he scooted even closer to her. "Ava," he whispered, brushing her hair off her neck. "I just want us to be friends." Once again, Ava remained silent and pretended as though she hadn't noticed. Malfoy quickly glanced around the room, leaning in even closer as he did so. Ava lost in her own thoughts, was completely unaware at how close he was getting. Her gaze had drifted up to the staff table and her eyes briefly locked with Snape's. Before she could smile or give him any indication that she had noticed, Malfoy hissed in her ear again. "I get it, you know? Be mean to the boy you like, just to get his attention. We could be more than just friends though, if that's what you're after."

Immediately turning in her seat, Ava glared fiercely at him. "You're really something else, you know that? Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy. First of all, I wouldn't do that to Kat. Second, I wouldn't even consider letting you touch me. Not even if you were the last wizard on Earth and it was up to us to keep the pureblood lines going. You're nothing but a devious, lying piece of shi-,"

"Miss Coombs."

The hair on the back of Ava's neck stood up and she immediately turned around, jumping slightly at the sight of Snape standing behind her. Bracing herself for an inevitable lashing from him, as he was quite fond of Malfoy, an all too apparent look of shock crossed her face when it never came. "I'm quite sure you have seen enough sorting ceremonies. If you'd please accompany me down to the dungeons, we 

have quite a bit of work this term and I'd like to get started." Ava nodded as she had lost her voice, which seemed to be a frequent occurrence whenever he came around. Standing up slowly, Ava grabbed her bag and shot Malfoy a smirk of her own before following Snape out of the Great Hall and through the hallways. The walk seemed shorter than ever, and before she knew it they were standing alone in the potions lab. She sat her bag on an empty table and stood rather hesitantly at the back of the classroom. For a fleeting moment, she found herself imagining him throwing her against the wall as he kissed her roughly. She shook her head slightly in an attempt to shake the thoughts away. When she finally glanced up at Snape, he was watching her carefully with the hint of a smile on his face. His black eyes tore into her as though he had just read her mind which, she reasoned, wouldn't have been surprising at all. There were plenty of rumors around the school about Snape being a trained Occlumens and Ava believed every single one of them.

"Nervous, Miss Coombs?" he asked, quietly. Still at a loss for words, Ava shook her head as she felt herself cheeks flush at his comment. She was terribly nervous, as she didn't want to disappoint him by failing miserably at the apprenticeship, and was almost certain he knew it. "Come on," he said, giving a quick motion to indicate he wanted her to follow him. Once in his office, he door shut behind them with a flick of his wand as he crossed towards a large, wooden desk that was laden with stacks of books. The office walls were lined with bookshelves, each holding a different variety of items. Jars of various colored liquids lined the topmost shelves, while thick and dusty volumes held a place on the lower ones. Ava had been in his office before, though she had never taken an opportunity to take in any details. Her visits had been reduced to brief lectures about advanced potions and lengthy detentions involving cauldron scrubbing. As she moved further into the office her clumsiness took hold and she tripped violently into a small table, resulting in the piece shattering underneath her. A glass jar that had been sitting on top of it shattered, spilling a green liquid onto the ornate carpet and releasing a foul stench into the air. Snape turned around quickly, waving his hand as he did, and repaired the damaged jar and table. With a horrified look on her face, Ava watched the table upright itself before sheepishly glancing up at Snape. Once again, his expression surprised her as he stared down with the hint of a smile on his face. A lean hand reached out from the sleeve of his black robes and extended downwards, leaving her more confused than she had been with his prior reaction. Reaching up, she gently slipped her hand into his, expecting to be pulled up roughly. Ava sat motionless though as their eyes met, and for a brief moment neither one moved. The pair remained hand in hand in a less than uncomfortable silence, and Snape's fingers tightened around hers softly. As quickly as the moment came, however, it disappeared even faster as Snape jerked his arm and pulled her upright again. He released her grip immediately and crossed the room, sitting behind the desk. A wave of his wand produced an overstuffed chair, and Ava immediately took a seat if for no other reason than to keep from destroying anything else in his office.

"Well, Miss Coombs," he said, watching her steadily as he leaned back in his chair. "As I'm sure you recall from our meeting in Diagon Alley, I have changed my curriculum this year. I will be interested to see how you handle this as we will be spending quite a sufficient amount of time together. However, because I've made the program even more intense, the Headmaster feels it would be best if we spent some time together that wasn't revolved around potions. I explained, very adamantly, that I couldn't see how it would benefit either one of us, yet he insisted, so here we are." A moment of silence feel as 

Snape watched her intently from across the desk as though he was searching for any sort of reaction from her to his statement.

"So… What does that mean?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. A smirk formed on the professor's face as he leaned back in his chair.

"Glad you decided to join the conversation. What that means is, per Professor Dumbledore's request, I am to spend a certain amount of time 'getting to know you,' as he put it. Believe me, I can find much better things to do with my time, but the Headmaster feels it's imperative for us to have a good relationship, due to the intense training and situations we are bound to find ourselves in. We are, after all, going to be spending the next two years together. With that being said, go ahead," he replied. Ava stared blankly at him as her mind raced to figure out exactly what he was expecting out of their meeting.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked, eyeing him with a little more confidence. Snape was clearly annoyed by this, as he leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the desk.

"How am I supposed to know?" he hissed, locking eyes with her again. A moment of silence passed before she spoke again. Ava tried looking away, as her vivid imagination was, yet again, taking her thoughts over. An image of him coming over the desk at her, embracing her tightly, and passionately kissing her flooded her mind. Forcing herself to focus on the task at hand, Ava stared back at him.

"I'm not quite sure what you're looking for, sir," she said quietly.

"Honestly, Coombs, I thought you were intelligent," he sneered at her. "I don't care what you say, as long as it's not too irritating. I don't want to hear any petty stories about your friends, or anything like that, but if you can manage to find something worthwhile and interesting to talk about please share, as I actually have no interest in you personally or any desire to spend more time with you than I have to." Ava's defenses instantly came up, though a small part of her was hurt by his comment. Any fantasies she'd had prior to it were immediately shattered and she felt her stomach tighten into a knot. It was ridiculous to think he would have ever taken a romantic interest in her, as he seemed annoyed to even have to maintain a professional one. Despite the logic however, Ava couldn't help but feel utterly disappointed by the fact that his inherently cold persona had returned. The few awkward smiles and their brief conversation in the apothecary, along with Kat's boost of confidence, had left her with the slightest glimmer of hope that he would possibly find her attractive.

"If I'm that much of an inconvenience on your time, I will gladly show myself out. However, if you have something to offer me other than stale insults and incorrect assumptions about my life, then feel free to indulge me. May I remind you that _you_ pulled _me_ away from the feast," she said flatly, keeping her eyes locked on him. Bracing herself again, as she fully expected to be yelled at, Snape eyed her for a moment before he spoke.

"Very well then," he said smoothly. "Where are my manners?" With another wave of his wand, the parchments on his desk were immediately replaced with various plates of food. Ava frowned at this, but 

slowly pulled her chair closer towards the desk. Apprehensively sitting down, she didn't dare reach for any of the food. "I thought you were hungry," he said quietly. "Do you want something else?" Yet another wave of his wand caused all of the food to disappear momentarily before being replaced with a variety of other dishes. Ava's confusion was even more apparent, and she stared at him.

"Thanks, Professor," she said hesitantly as she grabbed a roll from one of the plates. After a few minutes of silence as Ava ate and Snape flipped through the pages of a book, she set her fork down and looked up at him.

"All done?" he asked as she nodded. "Alright then," he continued, waving his wand and clearing the desk. Ava stood up abruptly as a cauldron in the corner began to bubbly wildly. She hurried over to its side and peered in as the watery liquid hissed and popped violently. Unaware of Snape's arrival, she glanced to her side and jumped as she saw him slightly leaning over the cauldron as well. It was almost as though he had forgotten who she was for a brief moment, and he rested a hand gently on her shoulder as he leaned over even farther.

"That's not right…. It's too dark….." he muttered to himself more than anything.

"What is it?" Ava asked, turning her head so she could see him clearly. It was Snape's turn to jump at the sound of someone else's voice and he looked at her with a fleeting look of surprise.

"Ah… Just a new potion I'm trying out. It's for the infirmary so you can imagine nothing too exciting. A somewhat improved version of the Pepper-Up, with out the burning sensation. Madame Pomfrey said she was having too much trouble with the younger students refusing to take it. But it should be more of an amber color and not as thin…" he trailed off.

"Do you have an ingredients list?" she asked, eyeing him carefully.

"What? Oh… Yes, in the desk… Top drawer on your right," he said absentmindedly as he crossed over to the supply cabinet and scanned its contents as Ava retrieved the list. The parchment was covered with scribbled notes as well as the list of ingredients in the potion thus far, as well as the steps to achieving it. Snape began muttering incoherently at the cupboard and Ava studied the list, deciphering it as best as she could. He grabbed a large jar from on of the shelves just as she was finishing up.

"What are you putting in?" she asked hurriedly as he made his way back to the cauldron.

"Flobberworm mucus," he said quickly, unstopping the jar before setting it down on a small table nearby.

"Did you consider a handful of violet moonstone?" she offered, crossing back to cauldron. "I think flobberworm mucus is going to prove to be far too thick for what you're trying to achieve, and it won't take care of your coloring problem either. Violet moonstone while help brighten it up so the lionfish spine will be able to stew properly without breaking down too much because you're going to have to strain it eventually. The acid in the mucus would leave it a gelatinous mess." Snape stared at her intensely and she immediately realized what she had done. To ever question Snape on any subject was 

to question the value of ones life. To question Snape on a potion was a death sentence, without a doubt. Ava attempted to open her mouth and apologize, but found herself at a loss for words as he stared her down. After a long pause, Snape's lips curled into a smirk and she mentally prepared herself for a lashing.

"Get out," he hissed fiercely, barely above a whisper. Ava knew she had crossed the line and immediately began to back away from the cauldron. Without another moments hesitation she turned on her heels and walked quickly out of the office, and then ran to the Slytherin common room before he had a chance to come after her. In all reality, there could have been a much more violent reaction. Ava was just happy to have all her limbs.

* * *

"Violet moonstone," he muttered to himself. The girl, Ava, had taken off without a word, as she should have. It didn't matter if she was right in her thinking and that, in fact, violet moonstone would prove to be a far better component then the mucus. All that mattered was that she had questioned his thinking... which meant she was questioning his authority... which meant she had no respect for him. He had dedicated his entire life to the brilliant art of potions and now, some spoiled little brat had the audacity to correct him. He placed the jar back in its home in the cupboard and returned with a handful of a vivid purple powder and dumped it in. The mixture immediately turned a brilliant amber color and became the consistency of a rich sauce, and Snape took a few steps so that he could peer into the cauldron. The brat had been right after all; it was perfect.

Crossing over to another cupboard, Snape gave a flick of his wand and it sprang open, revealing various bottles of a different sort. A lanky hand reached out and he retrieved an ancient, yet expensive, looking bottle of firewhiskey before conjuring up a glass. Resuming his seat behind the large wooden desk, he poured himself a stiff drink and swallowed it down quickly. The parchment that revealed his work on the potion was lying haphazardly on the desk, as the girl had dropped it in her hurried attempt to be out of his sight. Snape stared at it blankly for a few minutes before pouring another drink and swallowing it down.

He dipped a quill in the half-full jar of ink on his desk and held it over the parchment for a moment before scribbling quickly on it:

"_One handful of violet moonstone, as soon as it has been reduced to the consistency of water."_

Staring at the newest addition, he re read the sentence over and over again in his head. The firewhiskey began to take the slightest effect on his thinking and he felt his shoulders relax slightly. The girl- no, Ava, he corrected himself- had been entirely right which, in all reality, he should have been excited about. It was the first time in his career he had met someone with a true talent in the art, yet he found himself despising her in every way imaginable. Despising the look of hope she had given him, as she waited for his praise… The way her green eyes watched him and had longed for some sort of approval from him…. It was the same way she had looked at him in the apothecary. An innocent, yet desiring, look of….. of what? Longing? Never…. It was a look as though she wanted to be his friend or that she was desperately seeking his approval in any way. Ridiculous. Severus Snape was friend to no one and certainly was not going to start with a teenage girl.


	4. Chapter 4

4

Kat, looking positively stunning as she always did on the first day of classes, came bouncing over towards the Slytherin table without a moment's hesitation. Very few students had the guts to do something like that, yet Kat appeared to be completely unfazed by it.

Ava had resigned herself to the fact that Malfoy would be spending the entire year trying to irritate her in any way possible, as he had become more and more annoying as the previous week went on. Currently, he had taken a seat right next to her and was sitting close enough that his entire left side was pressed up against her.

"Go away Malfoy," she said, though there was hardly any emotion in her voice. It had only been a week, yet it was a draining one that had left her completely apathetic.

"You're easier than I thought you would be. I was sure it would take until at least Halloween before you gave up on pushing me away…. I just want us to be friends this year," he said with his best attempt at innocence.

"We've been friends since day one, so shut up," she said flatly, rolling her eyes half-heartedly as Kat drew closer.

"You really think so? Because you've always acted like you hated me," he replied as he reached over her and grabbed a roll.

"We have a love/hate relationship, Malfoy…. I love to hate you. When all is said and done though I know I could count on you, whether you'll admit it or not. Like that time in our third year when you lied to Snape for me, saying that kid from Hufflepuff had knocked over the armor, even though you saw me do it…."

"I just wanted to keep the house points."

"And when Alex Stemper, the Gryffindor, tricked me into going into the forest and you found out about it, you ran down there even though it was after curfew and broke his nose and then lied about it again to Snape, so I wouldn't get in trouble…."

"Once again: House points."

"Say what you want Draco Malfoy, the fact is that deep down inside you really do like me and deep down inside we're friends…. It doesn't mean I'm going to sleep with you though," she said, flashing a broad smile at him. He looked thoroughly irritated with her, though a hint of a smile was forming on his face. "Admit it," she said quickly, standing up and grabbing her bag in the process. Kat walked closer and stared off into space as the conversation finished.

"I'll do no such thing," he said firmly. Ava leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck before planting a kiss on his cheek. "Okay fine….. We're friends."

"Damn straight we are," she said with a smile. "Later Malfoy," she called out as the pair began to exit the hall. However, just as they were about to cross the threshold into the castle, the pair were stopped by a voice summoning them back.

"Miss Coombs," Snape drawled, causing her to freeze in her tracks. She hadn't even so much as looked at him since their encounter on the first night and she was now dreading having to see him. She turned around slowly and peered up at him. "Wouldn't you like your schedule? Or do you think seventh years can come and go as they please?"

"No, sir," she said quietly, hanging her head slightly. He had the rare talent of making one want to jump into the lake and let the giant squid have its way with you, by merely looking at you alone.

As Snape stood motionless, he looked down at the meek figure standing before him. She was significantly shorter than he was and while there was an edginess to her, she was proving to be far more sensitive than he would have ever anticipated. After all, he had already brushed away their little encounter during the feast, and she hadn't done the same? That was more than likely a good thing though, he reasoned out, as she should feel bad for questioning him.

"Let's see… Coombs… Coombs…." He muttered as he rifled through a stack of parchment that clearly held everyone's schedules. He stopped abruptly and shuffled a piece out and surveyed it before handing it to her. She took it without so much as glancing at it and turned around quickly. "Miss Coombs," he said again, a little more abruptly. "I'll see you in a few minutes then?"

Ava glanced down at the parchment and nodded. "Yes, sir."

"I look forward to it," he said silkily before retreating back to the staff table.

* * *

"What was that about?" Kat asked happily, glancing over her schedule as they walked down the hallway.

"No idea," Ava replied, studying hers as well. "I haven't talked to him since the other night…. I can't believe I have to start my year off with him."

"Come off it. You know deep down inside that you're excited about seeing him."

"Nay," Ava said sharply, catching a quick glimpse of Kat from the corner of her eye. "Not after that. All I was doing was trying to help and he has the audacity to get mad at me? He's an asshole."

"He likes you," Kat offered as she pulled Ava's schedule out of her hand so she could compare the two. "Oooo, you have your apprentice class with him every day? That's not how it usually is. It's usually two or three times a week…. And you have 'O' Level Potions on top of it."

"Ah, yeah… Well now we know what he meant about change the class around, and of course I have 'O' Level Potions. I'm studying it," she replied, pulling her schedule back.

"Whatever you say," Kat said with a smirk. "At least we have Transfiguration together. That should be fun."

"Great fun, I can't wait," Ava muttered, stuffing the parchment into her school bag. She was, by far, the best in her class when it came to potions, and one of the best the school had ever seen. Transfiguration, however, was an entirely different matter. She couldn't change a coffee mug into a tea cup, let alone change an object at will to whatever she desired, and she had spent her first few years convinced that McGonagall had a personal vendetta against her because she was a Slytherin. After her fourth year, however, she had realized that she was just that bad at it.

"Alright then," Kat said quickly, spotting a group of seventh year Gryffindor boys. "I'll see you later. Bye!" She took of before Ava could say her goodbye and left her heading towards the dungeons alone. She considered taking the long way, as there was a little bit of time left before class would officially begin, but Snape was the kind of man that would be angry that she wasn't early and she didn't need to be any further on his bad side.

* * *

Snape sat at the head of the classroom with his arms folded. There was still fifteen minutes before class began and time seemed to be moving extra slowly. If she came in early than he probably hadn't upset her that much. If she came right on time though, she was mad. He wasn't sure which he preferred, and the quiet turning of his stomach became all too apparent. After standing up abruptly, he grabbed a tiny vial of a shelf and swallowed the contents. It was a simple antacid, though the fact he was taking it disturbed him. He'd only had bread and eggs for breakfast, so there was no reason why his stomach would be as upset as it was.

The minute hand ticked by and Snape finally heard the shuffling of feet that he had been waiting patiently for. Ava sat her bag down on a desk near the front and took a seat behind it before pulling out her potions kit.

"You won't be needing that today," Snape said abruptly, crossing in front of her. "Come with me." Ava followed him into his office and over to the cauldron where their last conversation had taken place. "Here," he continued, pointing to its contents and handing her the parchment with his notes on it. "Finish it." Ava stared at him completely dumbfounded and looked back and forth between Snape and the cauldron. A few nights earlier she had been ridiculed for attempting to help. Now she was being offered the opportunity to finish creating a potion that had never been done. "Do you really find me that pleasing to look at?" Snape whispered, bringing Ava back to the present.

"Wha-? Excuse me?" she stammered out.

"Well I told you to get to work and you've been standing there staring at me ever since. Either you're an idiot or you find me unbelievably alluring…. And I think we both know you're not stupid," he spat. Ava stared at him, still confused, and took the parchment out of his hand.

"You'll have to forgive me Professor, but the last time I interfered with your potion your yelled at me and sent me away. I'm not sure what happened between then and now, but you can understand why I'm a little apprehensive," she finally managed to get out, though her confidence grew as she spoke. "So it has nothing to do with whether or not I find you…. Attractive."

"Get to work," he smirked, taking a seat at the desk and turning the chair so he could watch her. She moved deliberately and with an unwavering elegance when she worked. Crossing back and forth between the cauldron and supply cabinet, she piled up ingredients onto the small table next to her and began unscrewing the lids of various jars. After using them she would recap them and take them back before resuming her work. "Interesting take," Snape said after a few minutes. "And why would you be using the beetle wings?"

"Because it will help stabilize the doxy eggs without reducing the effect the boomslang venom will have on them," she said as she measured out a pile of the wings.

"Why wouldn't you use fluxweed to do that?" he asked, smirking as he waited for her response.

"Because it's a potion that you're expecting children to drink. Fluxweed and doxy eggs would create a rancid taste that I'm quite sure even _you_ wouldn't be able to handle. While it's not going to taste great, as potions rarely do, at least the beetle wings won't make it any worse," she said it all very quickly as she uncorked a bottle and let a couple drops of its contents drip into the cauldron. It made a loud hiss and the cauldron instantly began glowing a pale pink color. Silver smoke began to twist from the surface of it and floated up towards the ceiling. "Alright then. That's got to brew for at least another four hours before I can continue."

Snape stood up and peered inside the cauldron as a faint smile formed on his lips. It was impressive, to say the least, but he wasn't going to let her know that. She was nothing more than a student and while she was talented, he wasn't ready to admit that she was anything above average at best…. Not yet at least.

"Nice work," he said flatly. "Now you can spend the remainder of your time rewriting that piece of parchment so that it's coherent, as well as make your own additions to it," he purred, flashing an almost wicked smile. Ava grabbed the parchment from him and sat down at the small table to begin her work. Every once in a while she would glance at him from the corner of her eye, yet she highly doubted he even noticed.

The rest of the session went without any further event and as the bell rang to signal the end of class, Snape instructed her to leave the parchment on his desk.

"Oh, and Miss Coombs?" he said quickly, causing her to stop in her tracks. "I expect you to be here in, what is it- three hours now?- to continue on with the next step of your potion."

"Professor, with all due respect, I'll be Transfiguration at that time. I highly doubt Professor McGon-," she began.

"Professor McGonagall is well aware of your situation and the work it entails. I'll be sure to mention something if I see her, however she should be expecting you to leave," he said smoothly, standing up from his desk. Ava stood motionless as he crossed over to her, placing a hand forcefully on her shoulder. "I look forward to seeing you," he hissed. "And don't be late."

As the young woman turned on her heels and walked away, Snape found himself watching her intently. There were few students that caught his attention, let alone capture his interest. Sure, there were other intelligent students that had come through there. Granger was in her year, after all. Yet, despite his valiant attempt at hating his apprentice, he found it to be a futile one. Not to say that he liked her…. Or did he? Snape took his seat behind the desk and stared at the parchment she had left. Not only was it well written but he had to admit, she did things he would have never thought of doing.

_So what if she's smart?_ he argued silently. _Granger is smart and I don't like her…_ Snape leaned back in the chair and glanced once more at the parchment. It took a lot to impress him and she had done it on the first day of class. Perhaps he had been too hard on her during the first night. She was, after all, only a student- and a Slytherin at that. _An intelligent, beautiful, mature Slytherin….._

Snape closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair. This year was proving to be far more challenging than he anticipated, and the first day wasn't even over yet.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I changed this to be not only SS/OC, but DM/OC as well. If you don't like it, too bad- It's my story and I can do what I want...--insert evil villian laugh here-- We'll see what happens with it, and I think it will be fairly interesting. Draco's not entirely true to form in this chapter, but he'll be back soon_ _enough._

5

"I swear on everything magical, I can't take this anymore. It's only been a week and he's driving me insane," Ava whined as she and Kat traipsed through the castle grounds towards the lake. "I can't keep running back and forth all over the damn castle. You know, I don't think I've made it through a single class yet without having to leave for some reason or another… And every time I walk in he gives me the same arrogant smirk and says 'Nice to see you, Miss Coombs. I'm glad you could make it.' As though he'd been expecting me to not show up."

"He's probably just testing you right now to see if you can cut it. I'm sure it will get easier as the year goes on," Kat reasoned, arching her eyebrow in Ava's direction. "Besides, it's not like you aren't enjoying it. Even if it's just a little bit."

"I suppose. I guess it would just be easier if I could just stay there all day and work. This running around back and for-,"

"Oh…. There's Dean Thomas…. Got to go, love! Sorry!" Kat interrupted as she spotted the Gryffindor across the way. "We'll meet up at dinner, okay?"

"Sure thing," she replied to her friends back, shaking her head as she did. Upon reaching the edge of the lake, her school bag dropped from her shoulder and Ava took a seat on the soft ground. The sun was warm, but a nice breeze was making its way across the grounds. She stared blankly into the water's surface as a large tentacle from the giant squid stretched out of the water lazily before retreating back into the lake. It appeared he was enjoying the nice weather just as much as the students of Hogwarts were.

"Oi! Coombs! Just the girl I was looking for," a voice called out, breaking Ava of her trance. Malfoy crossed the grass towards her and sat down obnoxiously close before flashing an overdramatic smile at her. "How's it going?"

"Fine," she said apprehensively, watching him out of the corner of her eye. "And what exactly can I do for you Malfoy?"

"Oh nothing, just wanted to see what you were up to," he said as he raised his eyebrows.

"Right… Didn't we just get out of Charms together?" she asked, turning so he was in her line of view.

"Ah, well… Yes. We did. However, I thought I might drop by and offer you somewhat of a proposal," he said smoothly, tilting his head slightly so he could shield the sun from his eyes with a hand.

"What kind of proposal Malfoy?" she asked, unable to hide the irritation in her voice.

"Down girl. I thought we agreed to be friends and now this? What did I ever do to you," he retorted as he stared intently at her. It was a game, as everything was with Malfoy, yet Ava detected the slightest hint of sincerity in his voice.

"Sorry," she muttered, picking at the grass in front of her. "It's not you… I've just had a rough week."

"I noticed," he said, leaning down so he could prop himself up on an elbow.

"You did?" she asked, not bothering to hide the mild surprise on her face as she looked at him.

"Of course," he continued. "You've ran out of every class we have together, which I don't know if you've noticed, but there's quite a few, and you've been walking around in a sort of frenzy as though you're constantly trying to figure out what you should be doing." Ava stared at him for a moment, shocked at how astute his observation of her was. She had, in fact, been wandering around in a sort of haze and feeling as though she was in a perpetual state of panic.

"Spot on," she said, mimicking his movements and lying on her side to face him. As odd as it was, sitting with Malfoy had been the first semi-relaxing thing she had done all week. "Snape's been running me around the castle like an idiot all week and…" she hesitated, considering his sincerity for a moment before continuing, "…. And on top of that Kat doesn't even care. She has virtually no time for me anymore and on the rare occasion she does it usually ends with her running off to go talk to some guy or another. We're supposed to be friends and that means talking and listening when the other one is having a hellish week," she finished quickly. It felt as though a weight had been lifted of her shoulders, however brief that feeling would last.

"We're friends, aren't we?" Draco said, letting a half-smile curl at the corner of his lips. "You can talk to me and, despite the rumors, I'm actually fairly good at listening. You just have to promise not to tell anyone though as, you see," Draco leaned over so he was close to her and had an intense look on his face, "I started those rumors myself. I can't have it going around school that I'm nice or anything. Could you imagine the group of girls I'd have around me then? It's bad enough as it is…" Ava rolled her eyes but couldn't help letting out a small chuckle. He was the most arrogant person she had ever met in her entire life, but for the first time she got the distinct impression that it was more of a defense than anything else.

"Oh, yes, Merlin-forbid if anyone were to ever find out that a Malfoy was capable of compassion," she joked, rolling her eyes again in the process. He immediately tore a handful of grass from the lawn and threw it at her. "That wasn't very nice," she said, brushing the grass out of her hair. "Friends don't do that to each other."

"Sorry," he replied, smirking at her. "That's the beauty about friendship though… You have to forgive me."

"Right then," she said, checking her watch. Without a moment's hesitation she sprung up and onto her feet, scooping her bag up in the process. "Shit…. Shit…. Sorry Malfoy, got to go…. Snape…. A potion… I'm late," she stammered before running in the opposite direction and towards the castle. It took Malfoy a 

moment to realize what had just happened as he watched her run off. Rolling over onto his back, he stared absently at the clouds above him.

"Draco…. You could call me Draco….next time.…maybe," he mumbled.

* * *

"Afternoon Professor," Ave said quickly as she hurried towards Snape's office. Class was in session, though Snape was seated at his desk with a scowl on his face, as usual. It was a first year class and for a brief moment Ava felt a pang of sympathy for the students. So long to go, and so many years left; although at the same time it felt like she had just been there herself.

"Stop! Were you even paying attention when I was talking?" Snape sounded off, crossing over to a trembling first year. "I said _chopped,_ not _diced_ you idiot." The boy's station was near Ava and she glanced over at his table, shaking her head in the process. Snape caught a glimpse of this and smirked. "Even my apprentice thinks you're worthless… Start over," he spat, waving his hand and clearing away the root that had been cut up on his desk.

"No I don't," Ava said, causing Snape to stop entirely and glance up at her slowly. The entire class let out a simultaneous gasp, but Ava stood her ground. "I was shaking my head at you, _sir._"

"Really, Miss Coombs? Do you think you could do better then? Do you think you can teach this group of dunderheads better than I? Please… Be my guest," he said softly. Although there was a smile on his face, his eyes were dangerous and threatening.

"The potion, sir… It needs to be tended to… I don't really think-."

"I don't really think you're in a position to be making decisions. Now please, if you can show our dear Mr. Brinks here how to make this potion correctly," he said, cutting her off. Ava let her bag slide down her shoulder and onto the floor before crossing slowly towards the boy. The rest of the students began craning their necks in an attempt to see what she was doing.

"Well… You see… Your problem was that you weren't taking into account the diameter of the root. It's… It's a little deceiving after you cut it lengthwise, but if you remember to double it then you should be fine… Take this one," she said as she grabbed a fresh root and cut it down the center. "See? You want to cut it like this, but it should really be like… this. If you make them too small they'll turn to mush and you won't be able to strain it properly."

"Oh!" the boy said, with a dawning of realization on his face. "I get it."

"Good," she said with a smile, handing him the small dagger back. For a brief moment she felt a surge of pride, until she caught Snape's eyes again.

"Get… In… The… Office… Now," he said through clenched teeth. Ava turned around and scooped her bag up before taking off quickly. Once inside, she shut the door and crossed over to the cauldron. A few jars had been left out on the table for her and propped up against one was a folded piece of parchment with her name on it. Snape's calligraphy was unmistakable and she picked it up and carefully unfolded it.

_Ava_

_Good work. You have certainly exceeded my expectations, thus far. Keep it up._

_Professor Snape_

Ava stared at the note and reread it over and over again as a sinking feeling consumed her. She momentarily debated over what the most shocking part of it was; that he had addressed it to Ava, or that he had complimented her. Just as she set the note down the door to the office was opened and slammed shut immediately afterwards. She jumped slightly, but didn't dare turn around to face him. Snape crossed over quickly until he was so close behind her that she could feel his robes brush against her. He leaned down until his lips were just by her ear and a hand reached up and grabbed the note off the table.

"Don't ever disrespect me in front of my class again," he hissed in her ear, "Tell me, did you enjoy that? Did you enjoy making a fool out of me?"

"No sir," she replied shakily. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her hands were trembling. "I'm sorry." Within an instant Ava had been spun around and Snape had both hands on her shoulders and was pressing her into the table. Her eyes grew wide and panic hit her, causing her to tremble even more, which seemed to be exactly what he wanted.

"Sorry? You're _sorry? _I swear to Merlin, if you ever pull a stunt like that again I'll… I'll…"

Snape lunged forward and pressed his lips forcefully against hers, tightening his grip on her shoulders in the process. It took Ava a moment to catch up, though when she did she found herself kissing him back. After a few seconds his grip loosened just enough so that she could slide her arms out and wrap them around his waste. He deepened the kiss even more and held her tightly against him as he ran his fingers through her hair, causing Ava to moan lightly. Pulling away for a minute, she glanced up at him and smirked.

"If this is what I get for embarrassing you, I might do it more often," she purred. Snape arched an eyebrow before tightening his grip in her hair, jerking her head back in the process. The smile instantly faded from her lips, but found its way onto Snape's.

"Shut your mouth Miss Coombs, as you're in no position to be making jokes right now. You have put me in a very awkward position, you know that?" he hissed in her ear again. Before continuing on, he ran his tongue lightly against her ear. "You see, that was unacceptable behavior and I can't allow you to do that… On the other hand, you seem to have had some sort of affect on me, as though you've put me under some sort of sp-," he broke off as a look of realization spread across his face. "Of course! How did you do it, girl? A potion? A charm? What is it?" he said loudly, tightening his grip once more and pulling her against him.

"What? I don't know… What the hell are you talking about?" she stammered, more confused than ever. "I didn't do anything to you!" Snape surveyed her for a moment before his expression softened slightly. His free hand reached up and he ran his fingers gently down the side of her face.

"Well then," he said, the quietness returning to his voice. "I guess we're going to have to figure something out then. I hardly think it would be appropriate for us to continue…doing these…" he trailed off again and kissed her once more, though more passionately than before. His tongue pried its way past her lips and he released her hair before embracing her tightly.

* * *

Ava stumbled out of the potions lab and into the hallway, running her fingers through her hair as she did. As she walked slowly down the hall, she straightened her shirt out and glanced around quickly. Her gaze wandered and she stared off blankly into space as her feet led her towards the common room door. After muttering the password she stepped inside, relieved to find it virtually empty.

"What took you so long?" a voice came from behind her. Ava jumped and spun around quickly before letting out a deep breath.

"Malfoy, you scared me," she let out breathlessly, "What's up?"

"Nothing," he said, walking over to a couch. "You certainly were gone for a while." Ava followed him over and sat next to him, curling her legs underneath her.

"Ah, yeah… Well, it's a, uh… It's a pretty complicated potion," she stuttered, smiling convincingly at him. Her mind flickered back to Snape pulling her onto his lap as he sat in the chair behind his desk.

"You seem… Out of it. Is there something wrong?" he asked, moving closer to her.

"No! Not at all," she said quickly, smiling once more. "I'm good, you know? Just wonderful… Yup… I'm doing great. How about you? How are _you_ Malfoy? How are things going with you? Hey! No one's ever explained to me why you aren't with Kat anymore. What's up with that?" Draco stared at her blankly, trying to process what she had just said. He blinked a couple of times before raising his eyebrows and shaking his head slightly.

"Ah, Kat wasn't really interested in having any sort of… um… relationship, except for a physical one… Are you sure you're okay?" he asked as a genuine look of concern spread across his face and he rested a hand gently on her knee. Ava was taken aback for a moment at his obvious sincerity, though she hid it well. After taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly she nodded her head and smiled.

"Yes… Thanks Malfoy. I'm just fine. A little stressed out I suppose, but nothing out of the ordinary, right?" she replied, slightly more relaxed despite her body language retaining its uptight aura.

"No, it's not ordinary. Look at me, for instance, I'm not stressed out…" he said, scooting even closer to her.

"Well, come on Malfoy! What would you have to be stressed out about? First of all, you're a Malfoy and… Do I really need to go on after that?" she said, grinning.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, almost giving away a hint of the hurt her words had caused. Ava watched him carefully, finally realizing where his hand was and that he, somehow, had gotten extremely close to her. She looked around the common room quickly, surveying its emptiness once more before placing her hand on top of his.

"Sorry Malfoy. I just mean, you've got it all. Even if you weren't intelligent, it wouldn't be a problem for you," she assured him.

"You think I'm smart?" he asked, turning his hand over gently and lacing his fingers with hers.

"Of course!" she said, squeezing his hand playfully, "I just like to give you a hard time because it's easy… And it's not like you haven't done the same for me. For as many nice things you've done, I can thing of ten horrible ones… although the list is getting smaller, as you've been extraordinarily nice to me lately. Maybe _I _should be asking _you _if _you're _ok…" she finished with a smile. Draco watched her for a moment before lunging forward and pinning her to the couch. After a few moments of shock, Ava struggled in an attempt to get out from underneath him. Her attempt at a protest was silenced as he pressed his lips softly against hers. There was a force behind it, but it was gentle and inviting and a wave of relaxation spread throughout her body. The stress of the week, as well as the confusion from her encounter with Snape all seemed to fade away, which she was grateful for. Despite her love for potions, her first week had been hell and she blamed Snape entirely for it, even though he had apologized in his own sick and twisted way.

Ava relaxed on the couch and let Draco melt into her as he pulled her tightly. It was a night and day difference from Snape, and there was something welcoming and familiar to his touch. One hand slid down her side and trailed lightly down her leg, eliciting a soft moan from her throat. His tongue gently pressed its way into her mouth, claiming it for his own pleasure.

"Malfoy…" she whispered out as he moved over and nibbled gently on her earlobe.

"Draco," he murmured in her ear just before kiss her neck just below it. Ava ran her fingers through his platinum hair as her other arm snaked around his waist and pulled him into her. "Please… Draco… Please say it," he finished.

"Draco," Ava purred softly before kissing his lips once again. "Oh, Draco," she moaned as he brushed the hair away from her forehead. He kissed it lightly and then pulled back so he could look at her. Ava smiled and he gently ran his hand over the side of her face.

"I think Draco sounds better, don't you?" he said surprisingly softly, throwing her off entirely.

"It's definitely more intimate than Malfoy. It just puts you on a different level… than… Snape!" she yelled out, sitting up quickly so that Draco was pushed off of her. She jumped off the couch and stood in front of the professor, hanging her head in the process. Reality quickly came flooding back as she realized what she had just done. Snape was cold and hard to get to, but he was brilliant and respected her mind. Draco, on the other hand, was self-centered and arrogant and was more than likely adding her to a list, rather than looking for a relationship.

Snape's eyes were dark and angry and Ava nearly shrunk under his gaze. He took a step forward until he was merely inches away from her and leaned down, whispering in her ear so that Draco was unaware of what was being said.

"You just ruined the best opportunity you've ever had," he hissed venomously, "and you will pay for that. I am not some adolescent boy that you can toy with, understand?"

"Yes, sir," she said quickly as she nodded, keeping her gaze at the ground. "Professor," she said with a little more confidence, causing him to pause and stare at her. She locked her eyes with his, begging him to see what she was feeling. "I'm so sorry Professor. It will never happen again, I promise." Snape's lips curled into a smirk and he straightened himself out as he peered down at her.

"I know it won't," he said quietly, keeping her gaze, "Master Malfoy, I'll be seeing you for detention tomorrow night, 6pm sharp… Miss Coombs, I'll be seeing you this evening. Same time," he said. Although he had spoke to Malfoy, his eyes never left hers. Turning sharply, he disappeared from the common room, leaving the pair completely alone. Ava slumped down on the couch and leaned over, resting her head in her hands. Her temples were pounding and, despite the exhausting confusion, she wanted to tear the common room apart until everything in it was destroyed. She wasn't entirely sure why, but just the idea of it made her feel better.

Snape had been what she was longing for, and didn't even know it. The way he spoke to her and took her seriously, while still being able to make her feel wanted was incredible. He was truly an equal and his rugged poise was appealing. He had the unique ability to drive her crazy by keeping himself distant, but it was all the more reason she wanted to get close to him. She wanted to be the one woman who could break down his defenses and reveal the gentle, caring man she knew was hidden underneath.

Draco, on the other hand, was obnoxious and irritating and currently the only student in the school she felt comfortable around. Kat had abandoned her, and Snape was no one to talk to. She didn't even try to 

imagine his reaction if she were to bring up some trivial, teenage problem to him. Draco, however, _wanted _to listen to her and seemed genuinely concerned with her well being. Perhaps he had grown up after all, trading in his ego for a little chivalry and compassion. It was highly unlikely, yet seemed to be the only logical explanation for his behavior. Ava moaned into her hands that were covering her face, and balled her fists up. The two men were as different as the way they kissed. One was forceful and passionate, the other gentle and caring.

"Ava?" Draco asked, breaking the near silence they had been sitting in. Ava glanced up at him, though remained leaning forward. "What the hell was that about?" She stared at him blankly for a moment, searching for a believable answer to his question.

"What was what?" she replied, hoping he would let it go.

"_That,_" he said as he gestured to where she and Snape had been standing. "I've never seen him react that way before."

"What? He must have just been in a shitty mood or something," she said, waving it off.

"No," he continued. "I've never seen him get that pissy about it."

"I don't know what was going on. It's probably no big deal," she replied.

"I've been caught by him so many times, and he's never given me detention," he said, staring at the door. "I mean, if that were the case than my entire sixth year would have been spent in detention." Ava wasn't sure why his statement had irritated her, but it did. This was all too apparent when she didn't respond and Draco finally cast his gaze back towards her, catching the look on her face. "I- Ava, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel… I was only kidding, and none of those girls were worth anything at all," he stammered out, making his best attempt to redeem himself.

"Forget it Malfoy," she said, standing up from the couch and stretching her arms out. Draco followed suit, but his eyes were dark and reminiscent of Snape's.

"So I'm back to Malfoy again, huh?" he spat, clenching his jaw. "Fine."

"Draco!" Ava said, making a grab for his arm. It was in vain, as he had turned sharply and was already climbing out into the hallway. Ava sank back into the couch and faced the back of it before she leaned forward and began to repeatedly smash her head into it.

"Stupid…. Stupid…. Stupid…." She muttered with every hit.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N:** There's some pretty graphic scenes, as well as strong BDSM themes to go with them. If you don't like it, then don't read it... You have been warned!!_

6

"Stupid…. Stupid…. Stupid…." Ava muttered as she repeatedly hit her head against the tiled shower wall. The water was so hot it was nearly bearable, yet she appeared to be completely unaffected by it. The afternoon's events had left her feeling confused, irritated, and disappointed with herself. She was the complete opposite of Kat when it came to the opposite sex, as she preferred to keep to herself and not let things as trivial as boys infiltrate her mind. "Stupid…. Stupid…. Stupid…." She continued.

After turning the water off and drying herself off, she stood in the bathroom and pulled her clothes on. Classes were over, so it wasn't required of the students to be dressed in their school robes. The castle was still warm from the summer sun, despite the cooling spells Professor McGonagall had been casting all afternoon, and Ava pulled on a black tank top and a pair of dark jeans before her usual routine. Her hair was immediately straightened and black eyeliner was generously applied, making her Slytherin-colored eyes stand out brilliantly.

She traipsed out of the bathroom, glancing at the clock quickly as she did- which read 5:20-, and headed into the common room. Going to dinner hadn't even been an option, as the idea of being in the same room with Draco and Snape was entirely uninviting. Much to her surprise, however, Draco was sprawled out on the same couch they had shared earlier that afternoon with Crabbe and Goyle in chairs on either side of him. He was staring blankly into the fireplace which was roaring, despite the fact no heat was being emitted from it. Ava crossed over slowly and squeezed on to the couch, placing a hand lightly on his chest. He pretended not to notice that she was there and continued to stare, despite the fact she was blocking his gaze.

"Draco," she said quietly, tracing the Hogwarts crest on his robe, "please talk to me."

"Do you hear something Crabbe? Goyle?" he spat, looking back and forth between them. Ava clenched her teeth, but was not going to give up that easily. She scooted even closer to him and ran her fingers through his hair before letting her hand slide gently down the side of his face. Unable to resist any longer, he finally glanced up at her and caught her eyes.

"Draco, please don't be mad at me. I thought we were friends… And friends have to forgive each other," she murmured, resulting in the smallest hint of a smile from him.

"You're luck you're so smart, you know that? If you were just another pretty face, I wouldn't even be having this conversation with you," he replied, flashing his infamous smirk at her. Ava shook her head in response and rolled her eyes slightly at his statement. Coming from Draco Malfoy, it was probably the most sincere compliment anyone could ever hope for.

"Thank you," she said, patting his chest. "I have to go for my detention, but will you stay up and wait for me?" she asked.

"Yes," he said simply. "I will."

* * *

Snape's classroom was unusually dark, though there was barely any light emanating from his office. For a brief moment Ava considered going back to the common room, but the flickering of at least one candle became apparent as she got closer to the room. Opening the door gently, she stepped inside to find the office unoccupied with a few candles lit and strategically placed around. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, but almost as on cue, the door shut behind her once they did. She turned around quickly and found Snape standing in front of the closed door, watching her intently.

"You're early," he said softly. Ava merely nodded her response as he began walking slowly towards her. "I like that. You must be eager to make up your disgusting behavior."

"Professor, I'm sorry. I've never done that before and I… I-,"

"Shut up," he spat, now inches away from her. He was much taller than she was, causing him to bend down slightly so his lips were brushing against her ear. "I don't want to hear your childish excuses, nor do I want false promises. What I _do _want, however, is for you to act like the mature adult I know you are." One of his hands ran through her hair, while the other one came up and trailed lightly over her breasts. "For every action, there's a consequence. Whether it be good, bad, or indifferent, there's always a consequence. Now, are you going to be able to be an adult about this?"

"Yes, sir," she said quietly, vacillating back and forth between mild fear and slight arousal.

"Good girl," he continued as his hand slid down her side and then up her shirt. He smirked slightly as he grabbed her breast roughly, causing her to gasp quietly. "Take your shirt off," he hissed quietly, backing away so he could watch. "In fact," he continued, making his way over towards the chair behind his desk, "come over her and take everything off. Slowly." Ava positioned herself in front of him, her hands shaking slightly, and pulled her shirt over her head. As soon as it fell to the floor, Snape's obviously pleased reaction eliminated any self-conscious doubts she had. He licked his lips as she slipped her arms out of her bra before easily unhooking it in the back and letting it fall to the floor. Unconsciously, Snape lowered a hand and adjusted his painfully swollen erection, keeping his eyes locked on the young woman in front of him.

Ava watched him watch her, feeling the obvious arousal between her legs as she slid out of her jeans. All that was left were her black panties, which barely covered anything at all. She took a few steps forward, forcing Snape to open his legs so she could slide in between them.

"Do you think you could help me?" she asked, offering up her body to him. Snape's eyes instantly trailed up and locked with hers as one hand reached up and ripped the garment off.

"I don't remember telling you to speak," he said quietly as he reached up and grabbed her by the hair. In an instant she was pulled across his lap, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He kissed her roughly as his free hand trailed down her stomach before he pushed two fingers inside her. Ava let out a gasp from the surprise of it, though Snape just kissed her harder in an attempt to drown it out. "That's it," he hissed in her ear as he yanked her head back by her hair. "That's my girl. Just relax, because you're going to be here for a while."

Snape shoved her off his lap violently and she crashed to the floor, leaving her trembling and confused. His motives were all too apparent, however, when he undid his pants and pulled himself out. Ava stared at him without trying to hide her arousal.

"Get over here," he said fiercely, pointing towards the spot on the floor between his legs. She immediately scrambled to her knees and slid over until she was able to wrap her mouth around him. He smirked as his head tilted back and his fingers weaved themselves through her hair. "Ava…." He moaned gently, pulling at her hair. "And I didn't even have to tell you what to do… You're going to be the best little slut." His hand guided her head forcefully as her lips wrapped around him tightly. Her knees began to ache, but she found herself not minding the pain. It appeared he had a way of manipulating her, though she was rather enjoying it. Without any warning, her mouth was flooded and she pulled away quickly. She made an attempt to spit out the fluid, but a hand around her throat stopped her. Snape squeezed tightly and leaned down until they were eye to eye. "Swallow it," he purred. Ava hesitated for a brief moment and his grip tightened, causing her to painfully swallow the contents. "You are just the most beautiful little thing I have ever seen," he whispered, kissing her cheek gently. Still at her throat, he pulled her up until she was sitting on his lap once more, and his fingers took their place inside her. Finally releasing his grip, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "You're doing very good, beautiful. And don't worry… In a few minutes we'll be able to finish things up and you can get back to Malfoy."

"Professor," she said breathlessly as her hips rocked into his hand. "I… I want you…" she said, tossing her head back. Snape laughed quietly and kissed her neck.

"No you don't," he whispered before running his tongue against her ear. "You want to fuck me, but that's it. Don't try and fool me, or yourself, into thinking this is anything more than what it is. Malfoy can tell you you're pretty, and listen to your crappy day, and tuck you in at night… I, on the other hand, offer a release from your day to day life. I've watched you for so long, my sweet little girl, and I know you. I know what you need. You walk around everyday, giving off the illusion that you have it together and that nothing and no one can stop you," he said as she squirmed on his lap in obvious pleasure, "but deep down inside you want to surrender your control, even if it's just for an hour. You want someone to take over and tell you what to do. That's what I'm here for, my sweet."

Snape pulled her up and set her on his quickly growing erection, pushing himself inside her without any warning. She let out a soft moan and arched her back, pressing herself against him. Snape tossed his head back and played with her breasts as she ground herself into him. It only took a few short minutes for Ava's breathing to become ragged and her nails to dig into his shoulder blades. He responded with a low growl and his own set of scratches across her lower back, causing her to tighten around him and scream in ecstasy. Snape poured himself into her, biting at her neck in the process, before the pair collapsed on each other in the chair. Snape wrapped his arms possessively around her waist and held her against him, burying his face in her hair.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything as beautiful as watching you," he said, trailing his fingers lightly up her spine. Ava kissed his neck roughly before leaning back and pressing her lips against his. He returned her passionate kiss, rubbing the fresh wounds on her back. She let out a gasp from the slight pain of having his fingers on her open wounds, but he pressed his lips to hers tighter.

"Sir," she whimpered between kisses, "I want you… I need you, sir. I need to be yours."

"You are," he smirked, kissing her once more. "And for these little, ah… meetings we'll be having, I'd appreciate it if you called me Severus… Anyway, my pet, you can rest assured that you are the only female worthy of my time and that, in fact, you _are_ mine. Malfoy might think he's got you," he continued, brushing her hair off her face, "but you will always be mine. I took you first."

"Why do you keep bringing up Malfoy?" she asked, rubbing his chest lightly. "I already told you, it was a one time thing."

"Well, it's not going to be," he replied sternly. "You see, you're going to go back to the common room and tell him how you've always had feelings for him. You're going to kiss him and make love to him and let him sweep you off your feet."

"Prof-… Severus, I don't understand," she protested as he pushed her off of him and stood up. "Severus, please… I know what I want, and I want you."

"Enough," he said loudly, turning to face her. "You're going to be with Malfoy. He can make you happy… I can't. He can offer you a life of wealth, happiness, romance, anything else you desire, and everything you deserve. All I have is physical pleasure, and I highly doubt you'd want to stay here at Hogwarts."

"I do though," she said quietly, placing her hands on his chest. "That was amazing. I want that all the time… I want to belong to you."

"My dear, you do… While it's true that he gets your heart… your mind and body belong to me, which are the sexiest parts about you. I get to work with you and then shag you senseless afterwards… Believe me, love, you are mine. I own you… Now get dressed and get out," he said flatly, waving his wand and retrieving her clothes for her. She put them on quickly and crossed over to the door, mildly hurt by his abrupt dismissal of her. As she turned the handle, he stopped her briefly by grabbing her hair and pressing his lips against her neck gently. "Go take care of Malfoy, but remember: I'll be watching you. I'll see you sooner than you think," he whispered.

* * *

The Slytherin common room was completely empty, save the young blonde man lying on one of the couches. Ava snuck in quietly and tiptoed over to his side and crouched down on the floor next to him. Snape's comments replayed over and over in her head as she watched him sleep, trying to figure out what to do. A large part of her had wanted to turn around and run back to him so she could stay locked up in his office for eternity, doing whatever he wanted her to. Now, seeing Draco, the memories of their earlier encounter came flooding back. The way he had touched her had been incredibly gentle and caring, completely different from Snape, although she wasn't sure if she liked that.

"Draco," she said gently, running her hand lightly down the side of his face. He awoke with a start and sat up quickly, taking a minute to gather his bearings. Once he finally got himself straight, he looked down to see Ava on the floor next to him. She smiled broadly and he reached down, scooping her up gently and setting her next to him.

"Hey," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes before looking at her. "How was it? What did he make you do?"

"Oh…uh… I just did some lines, you know? Nothing fancy," she said convincingly, scooting closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"You know, I almost had forgotten why we had gotten detention in the first place," he said a little more coherently as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Oh, yeah, me too," she said, smiling at him. Much to her surprise, he leaned down and kissed her softly, running his fingers through her hair. It took a second for her to respond, but Snape's words drifted through her conscious and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Ava," he whispered, running his hands down her sides and then up her back. She immediately pulled away and let out a whimper of pain as his fingers trailed over the open scratches Snape had left. "What? What's wrong? I… What… Are?" he said, genuinely concerned.

"Oh, that?" she said, giving her best attempt at a smile. "That's just from when… I… fell… Yes. I fell in the dorms and my back hit my trunk and, well, I just got scratched up."

"Want me to take a look at-," he started, making an attempt to lift her shirt up.

"No!" she said a little louder than she should have. He jumped back slightly and a confused look spread across his face. "I just mean, it's ugly looking and I don't want that to be your first memory of me naked," she said softly, running her hands over his chest. Draco instantly smirked and pulled her close, until she was on top of him.

"So I don't get to see you naked tonight?" he asked, mock pouting in the process. "But that's why I stayed up."

"You _didn't_ stay up though," she retorted, kissing his cheek gently. "I had to wake you up when I got here."

"Enough with the semantics," he said grinning.

"Draco, do you know how long I've wanted to be with you?" she asked abruptly, brushing some hair away from his eyes.

"Not as long as I've wanted you," he said quietly, leaning in to kiss her softly.

"Really? Then why did you go for Kat?" she asked.

"To make you jealous," he admitted, smirking a little in the process. "It was petty, but then Kat told me that you hated me and…"

"Kat doesn't know anything about anything that isn't involving her. I _did _tell her you were a jerk and arrogant, but it was only because I wanted you for myself," she said. It was half true, which made her feel better than if she had just lied to him all together. He wasn't what she had expected though, and she couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't been this nice to her all along.

"Looks like we both have skeletons in our closets," he said quietly, pulling her close.

"More than you know," she mumbled.

"Come here," he said quietly, kissing her again. The pair remained on the couch for quite a while, lost in each others touch, before Ava finally broke their connection and leaned back slightly.

"Draco," she said quietly, looking up into his normally icy eyes. "Draco, if you hurt me I swear on-." Draco put a hand up to silence her before he grinned slightly.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm done bouncing around, and I want something serious, something that means something to both of us. I'll tell you though, I'm willing to put myself out there and try to make a go of this. If you aren't looking for that, fine, but tell me now then," he said as he played with the ends of her hair.

"Draco," she smirked, "I want to make you happy." A shot of guilt tore through her stomach as she thought of Snape, though she didn't dare let it show. Draco was wonderful and any girl would have been lucky to be in her position, however, she briefly felt like running out the door and back into the potions lab.

"You _do_ make me happy. You actually do a brilliant job at that," he said, pulling her forward so he could kiss her once more. "But, my dear, I need to get some sleep. It's late and you should get some rest too."

"Sounds good," she replied, mildly relieved that he was leaving. She stood up, allowing him to do the same, and snaked her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. He returned her embrace and kissed the top of her head. "Night dear," she said softly.

"Night, beautiful," he said, kissing her cheek. With that, he turned around and disappeared into the boy's dorm, leaving Ava to sit alone in the common room. She sunk back on the couch and stared blankly into the fire, letting the days events sink in. Snape was far too confusing for his own good, and she tried to make sense out of his logic. She knew he wasn't the mushy, lovey type, but she also couldn't 

see him wanting to share her with anyone. He was entirely too possessive in the way he touched her for it to be okay with him. And Draco… As nice as he was, she didn't know if she wanted to be with him. Her heart was, in fact, residing with Snape for the moment and she liked it very much.

"I thought I told you to sleep with him," the familiar voice came from behind her. Ava spun around slowly, though still surprised to see him there.

"Professor," she said, furrowing her eyebrows at his presence, "What are you doing here?"

"I told you I'd see you soon," he said calmly, taking a seat next to her. Ava immediately scrambled close to him, longing to feel his arms around her for just one more second. Snape chuckled at her behavior, though put no resistance to her attempts and carefully pulled her onto his lap, wrapping her up in the same possessive embrace he had earlier.

"Severus," she whispered into his ear, "I don't want to do this. I just want you."

"That's not in the stars, love," he said softly, running his hand through her hair. "I am not a man worthy of your love, I'll admit it. Draco, however, is the best possible choice for you. He can give everything you need and ta-," he stopped abruptly as he caught the look in her eyes.

"Stop it," she said flatly. "Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what I do and don't need… I need you, okay? What don't you get about that?" she hissed, causing him to lean forward and kiss her roughly.

"You're so sexy when you're angry," he said, running a hand up the inside of her thigh. "You look so innocent and adorable when you get mad, as though it could possibly affect anything. Ava, my dear, _I'm _in charge, not you. If I tell you to be with Draco, you'll do it. Understand?"

"I just don't get it," she said firmly, doing her best to keep her mind centered as her ran his fingers gently between her legs. "Why do you want to share me with him?" Snape stopped abruptly, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"_Want? _Why do I _want_ to share you? I don't," he hissed, grabbing her hair and pulling her off of him and onto the floor. He smirked at her, looking so helpless and confused, sitting at his feet like the good girl she was. "To be honest, I want to tie you up and keep you in my personal quarters, but that's no life for you."

"I wouldn't mind," she said, resting her head on his knee. He reached down and twirled her hair as he stared into the fireplace intently, letting her words sink in.

"I don't want you to live like that," he finally said, patting her head gently. She looked up at him and whimpered slightly. "No, Ava, I mean it. You have an extraordinary talent and I won't let you waste it. Now come on, let's get you to bed," he said abruptly, bending over and scooping her up in his arms. He carried her as though she was his new bride, up into the girl's dorm, which surprised her completely. After setting her gently on her bed, he stripped her clothes of slowly, leaving her completely naked and 

vulnerable, lying on her bed. Neither one spoke a word as he pulled her curtains shut and leaned down, kissing her softly. One hand trailed down her stomach and settled between her legs, while the other held her tightly to him. She whimpered slightly at his touch, but he didn't stop until she was gasping for air and holding him tightly. He smirked at her as she finally relaxed back into the bed, before he leaned over and kissed his forehead. With that final move, he pulled the covers up over her and wrapped them tightly around her before walking out of the room quickly. As Ava drifted off to sleep, she wondered if he caught the irony of him tucking her into bed that night.

* * *

The door to the Potion Master's office slammed shut and Snape stalked across the room, taking a seat behind the desk. A wave of his wand resulted in the familiar bottle of firewhiskey emerging from his cupboard and landing gracefully on his desk, along with a larger-than-usual glass. He poured himself a general amount before swallowing the burning liquid down quickly. He retreated back into the seat and stared into the bottom of the glass, contemplating his current situation.

There was no arguing that the girl had trapped him, leaving him helpless to control himself. He smirked, knowing she thought he was in control when in all reality, she held all the power. They're recent conversation replayed in his head and his entire body stiffened slightly as he thought about the way she had looked at him. Had she wanted him the way he wanted her? Of course he had never admitted it to himself, but working so closely with her over the past week had opened his eyes, so to speak, on who she was. Intelligent, pretty, charming, and a Slytherin… He poured himself another large shot and swallowed it just as quickly before setting the glass down and standing up. He always thought best when he was moving around whether he was working on a potion, or trying to figure out a seventeen year old girl... _Woman,_ he thought, correcting himself.

The image of her confusion flooded his mind again as he paced his office, trying to figure out some sort of common ground. Of course he wanted her as his own. Granted, lust could be clouding his judgment, but he had never met anyone quite like her. She had an aura about her that gave her unwavering confidence and a quiet insecurity at the same time. In some ways, she was more like him than he cared to admit, it was just that time hadn't gotten to her yet. Her mind, while brilliant, had left her ostracized from her peers and feeling helpless, as though she would never fit in. He knew that feeling all too well, but Ava gave him the opportunity to share it with someone.

"Stupid girl," he yelled out loud while kicking a small table over and shattering it to pieces. He stared at the wooden remnants for a moment before taking his spot behind the desk again. A good part of him wanted to get her that very moment and keep her locked away in an attempt to shelter her from the cruelties life dealt out, however she deserved happiness and to live in the lap of luxury, which was something he just couldn't provide. No, but Draco could provide that for her, which was why she needed to be with him.

Snape grabbed the bottle and filled the glass up to the brim before swallowing it in its entirety and throwing it across the room. He had to keep his front up for her, but the idea of that spoiled bastard's hands all over her turned his stomach. As selfish as he knew he was being, deep down inside he wanted to keep her all to himself. The firewhiskey began to cloud his judgment and he stood up quickly, swaying slightly from the liquor. He was going to get her and bring her back and make love to her, the way he should have that day. Snape, however, never made it to the door, but rather fell halfway through the room, passing out in the process.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: As I stated in the first chapter, I'm doing this for fun. However, I'd appreciate it if at least one person would leave me a review... It would be nice to know that someone out there was enjoying this!_

7

"Get up. Now," Ava said loudly as she nudged Snape with her foot. He woke up abruptly and glanced around the room quickly, as though in a panic, before his gaze finally settled on her.

"What's going on?" he mumbled, barely coherent. Ava set her bag down by the door and walked over to him, scooping him up with all her strength, and set him on the couch.

"What's going on is that my apprentice is about to start in five minutes and I just walked in and found my professor lying passed out drunk on his office floor," she spat, making no attempt to hide the irritation in her voice.

"How do you know I was drunk?" he demanded as he leaned back in the couch. Ava spun around and stared at him with an incredulous look on her face before shaking her head.

"The shattered table and rock glass, coupled with the nearly empty bottle of firewhiskey were a dead giveaway," she hissed, pointing to the evidence around the room. Snape followed her gaze before staring at her once more.

"Oh," he said simply. Ava pulled her wand out and immediately corrected the flaws in the room before taking a seat next to him.

"So are you planning on explaining to me why I found you comatose?" she asked as her eyebrow arched and she stared at him out of the corner of her eye. He shook his head in response, eliciting a scoff from her. "I think I deserve it."

"I just had a rough night, I suppose," he muttered.

"You practically spent all night _with me_! Was it really that awful?" she asked, turning her body so that she was facing him.

"I didn't mean it like that Ava," he said, resting a hand on her knee, "I just meant after I left you, things got… shitty." Ava scooted closer, genuinely concerned by his response to her question.

"What happened?" she asked gently.

"I left you," he said quietly, still avoiding her gaze. "I was on my way to get you," he finished flatly, as though he was merely listing off potion ingredients. Her cheeks instantly flushed pink and she buried her face in his chest. "Do you want to spend the night with me?" he asked abruptly, causing her to pull away and stare at him blankly. He finally looked at her and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her response.

"Ah… Well, yes. Of course I want to, but I think Draco might notice," she said slowly. "Unless you don't care."

"For being as intelligent as you are, you don't think things through very often," he said with a smile, pulling her close to him. "Tell him we're working on a potion. He'll eventually go to bed, you can get up early and head back, and no one will ever know."

"He has detention with you," she said. Snape's smirk turned into an almost wicked smile and he leaned her back on the couch until he was lying on top of her.

"Perfect," he replied before pressing his lips against hers forcefully.

* * *

The common room had been filled with students only a few short minutes ago, however it had emptied out rather quickly as the dinner hour grew near. Draco paced back and forth across the now empty room, glancing at the clock every so often. He wasn't sure how to take the fact that Ava hadn't showed up yet and had been gone all day, without a word. She had been in his sights for a couple years now, though she had always seemed completely unobtainable to him. The idea itself had been mildly irritating, as being a Malfoy should have left nothing out of his grasp. However, she had always seemed just out of his reach. It had nothing to do with the usual qualities he had found in the numerous girls he had been with. The smartest Ravenclaw, prettiest Hufflepuff, and wealthiest Slytherin had all been on his arm at one point. (Gryffindors weren't even considered.)

Perhaps it was the fact that she was nearly a combination of all three of those things, or possibly it was because of something different entirely. She had never pined for him or went out of her way to catch his attention, which was something he wasn't used to. The majority of girls in their year had made some sort of pass at him at some point, but not her; not Ava. She was above that, and after much deliberation he had come to the conclusion that that's what made her so attractive. Coupled with her brains, beauty, and blood…

Lucius, as he preferred to call him in the privacy of his thoughts, had sat him down over the summer holiday and given him an ultimatum; either he found a serious candidate for marriage by the end of the year, or he was being cut of from the family funds until he did. Ava was the perfect match for him. Raised in an affluent household, as most purebloods were, she was witty enough to keep him on his toes, but high up enough socially to keep his father satisfied. It wasn't the only reason why he had gone after her, though it was a large part of it. If things had been different, he might have pursued her a little differently. After all, the chase had always been his favorite part of the game, which was obvious from his normal immediate disposal of any female, once he had gotten what he wanted from her. It was different though, as she was going to be here to stay.

Draco glanced at the clock once more and headed out into the hallways, making his way quickly through the dungeons. A third year Gryffindor got in his way accidently, and he shoved the boy into a suit of armor before shouting, "Watch where you're going, you little shit." He continued sulking down the corridors as the panic-struck boy ran off in the opposite direction. Banging the classroom door open, he crossed the hallway and pounded on the office door.

"One moment," Snape called out through the thick wood door. Draco crossed his arms in front of his chest and tapped his foot impatiently until the professor opened the door and let him in. A mild look of surprise crossed his face as he saw Ava standing at a cauldron towards the back, stirring it carefully as she stared in its contents.

"Hi Draco," she said somewhat absentmindedly as she continued stirring the simmering liquid, not taking her eyes off it once.

"Hey," he replied, watching her carefully as he took a seat across from Snape's desk.

"Don't get too comfortable," he said dryly as a smirk formed on his lips. "You're going to be scrubbing cauldrons out."

"Yes _sir," _Draco replied, putting heavy emphasis on the last word. Ava glanced over her shoulder quickly, but avoided his gaze as best as she could. Snape waved his wand and a stack of filthy cauldrons, apparently from the entire day, appeared in front him. Draco slumped over onto the floor at the stack and began scrubbing, though his eyes were consistently focused on the young woman. Snape took his seat at the desk and followed Draco's gaze, letting a smirk once more take its place across his lips.

"Miss Coombs, would you be a dear and grab me that book off the shelf?" Snape said in an unusually silky voice. Ava spun around quickly and followed his gaze towards a thick volume on the lower shelf of bookcase next to him.

"Of course, sir," she replied with a smile as she crossed over. Draco's eyes narrowed as he watched Snape make a show of staring at her as she bent over and retrieved the book. Snape wetted his lips as she did this and took the book gently from her when she offered it to him.

"Thank you," he purred before flashing Draco yet another smirk as Ava walked back to her station beside the cauldron.

* * *

"Alright Professor," Draco said, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice. He grabbed the last cauldron, which was spotless, and slammed it on Snape's desk. "I'm done."

"Very good," Snape replied halfheartedly, as his eyes were locked on Ava. He had spent the entire two hours running her around and asking her to pick various items up, or finding ways that she would have to come into contact with him. Draco had gotten increasingly angrier as time had progressed, and Snape 

had loved every second of it. Ava, on the other had, kept quiet for the majority of the time, not bothering to get in the middle of their obvious quest for power. "You can go now," Snape said quietly.

Draco stared at him for a moment before straightening himself out. "Good. Come on Ava, let's go," he hissed.

"No," Snape said loudly, causing both students to jump slightly. "Miss Coombs still has work to do."

"What?" the pair said in unison, eliciting a small smile from Ava. "It's late and we have class in the morning," Draco finished.

"Sorry," Snape replied, "but she's not going to work with charms or magical creatures or whatever ridiculous classes the curriculum requires of you. She will, however, be working with potions. Potions take time and patience, but I wouldn't expect you to understand that,_ Master _Malfoy." Draco looked furious as Snape spoke, clenching his fists into a tight ball.

"Fine," he said, turning around and stomping towards the door. "I'll see you when you get back then," he called over his shoulder before slamming the door behind him. Ava immediately dropped her book and crossed over to Snape, who was leaning back in his chair with a smug look on his face.

"Was that _really_ necessary? And don't think for a second that I didn't notice what you were doing," she hissed. Snape merely shrugged in response. "Severus, honestly! That was just plain, flat out mean."

"I never said I was nice," he purred, grabbing her arm and pulling her close to him. "In fact, I don't think I've ever done anything nice, in my entire life… Are you still going to spend the night with me?"

"I shouldn't… Not after the way you acted tonight. I didn't really expect something that immature coming from you," she spat as she pulled her arm out of his grasp. Snape immediately grabbed her arm again, though much more forcefully, and pulled her onto his lap.

"I guess I phrased that wrong… I should have said: _I'm glad you're spending the night with me_," he said roughly before he kissed her hard. Ava returned it for a moment before pulling away and sneering at him.

"I am not your whore," she said firmly. "You can't play these petty games with me. Either you want me, or you don't. Either you want me to be with Malfoy, or you don't. Pick a side, Severus, because I'm not going to let you confuse me any more than you already have." He studied her for a moment, obviously taken aback by her sudden defiance. A smile crept onto his face though, and he gently wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You are certainly a fiery one, you know that? It just makes you that much sexier. Now tell me, my sweet, how am I confusing you?" he said softly as a hand reached up and delicately brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She wrinkled her nose up at his gesture before turning her head away from him to stare at the cauldron.

"I've already explained it to you, and I'm not doing it again. This is ridiculous," she said flatly.

"It's got nothing to do with whether or not I want you around. As _I've _already explained, there's no reason why you should settle for someone like me. Malfoy is far better suited for you, however that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy you," he said, running a hand up the inside of her leg. Ava snapped her head back towards him and their eyes locked, causing her to smirk slightly. If there was one thing she was better at than potions, it was manipulating people. While she rarely did it, it was something she had found herself to be highly skilled at.

"So it doesn't bother you that I'm going to shag him?" she said quietly as a devious smile began to form. "It doesn't bother you that you're not the only one that gets me? He's going to want me to do things with him, you know? Things that, in all reality, I only want to do with you." Snape's expression instantly turned unpleasant, as though he had swallowed something nasty, and he glared at her. Unfortunately for him, Ava was quite used to his gaze after seven years and remained completely unfazed by it. "I find it so hard to believe," she continued, "that you aren't bothered by the fact that he's going to be inside me."

Snape pushed her onto the floor violently and stood up quickly before leaning down and grabbing her by the hair. "Enough!" he screamed at her. Ava smiled wickedly at him, despite the immense pain of having him hold her up by her hair. "What?" she said quietly. "Does that bother you?"

"Of course it does, stupid girl. You think I want him touching you? I told you, _you're mine_," he yelled, inches away from her face. Ava smiled even more, which clearly irritated him. "Come on, Severus," she hissed, "I'm going to be with Draco as soon as I walk out of here, per your request, and if things go your way I'll be with him forever. Then you'll always know that it was thanks to you that I'll be spending every night sleeping next to him, and when I wake up I'll be curled up in his arms."

Snape threw her into the desk roughly before dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around her. He buried his face into her hair and held her tightly to him, almost as though apologizing for what he had just done. "Please stop," he begged quietly. "Please… Just stop it." Ava wrapped her arms around him and kissed his neck softly. "Severus…" she whispered, "just let me be yours."

"I can't," he moaned softly into her hair as she ran her tongue lightly over his ear. Snape pulled away slightly before advancing again to press his lips into her gently. It was much softer than she was used to, coming from him, but there was still something highly possessive about the way he touched her. Almost as though he was afraid to let her go, for fear she would dart out of the room and run back to Draco. Ava leaned back, pulling him on top of her as she did, and wrapped her legs around his waist. Without a moments hesitation Snape undid his pants and pulled himself out before reaching up her skirt and ripping her panties off. He pushed himself into her forcefully as he rested his forehead on her chest, letting her tangle her fingers in his hair.

"Ava," he said, almost whimpering into her skin. She reached under his chin and tilted his head up gently so she could kiss him passionately. "Severus, I want to go to bed."

Snape immediately pulled away and reached down, scooping her up as he had the night before. He carried her carefully into his quarters, forcing his way to the bedroom before kicking the door shut behind him. After setting her on the bed gently he stripped down and muttered a spell to remove her clothes as well. Sliding between her legs once more, he brushed his lips lightly against hers. "Let me wake up with you tomorrow morning," he said quietly.

"I can't think of anything I want more," she replied.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: To my myriad of fans (haha) sorry it took so long to get this up. I wrote it and rewrote it probably four or five times... Thanks to the two of you that left me a review! It was much appreciated! This one's for you...Oh, and there's a little bit of dirty language and adult situations, though that's why this is rated 'M'... If I could rate it higher than that, I would... You have been warned!!_

8

"Happy Halloween!"

"Happy Halloween, beautiful. I got you something," Draco said as a smile crept onto his face. He pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and put it gently in her hand, receiving an excited smile from Ava.

"Really?! You know, I've never gotten a Halloween gift before," she said with a grin, wrapping her arms around his neck. She had heard that Muggles celebrated Halloween, but preferred to dress up like folks from the wizarding world. However, Halloween was an incredibly sacred holiday in the wizarding community and it had hints of everything from Christmas to Valentine's Day in it.

"Before you get too excited, open it up and see if you even like it," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"I'm sure I will," she said, leaving a quick kiss on his cheek before she gently opened the box. Inside, a tastefully large emerald necklace, set in white gold, rested against the soft fabric. Ava's eyes widened as she stared at it before turning and wrapping her arms around him once more. "Draco, I love it. It's incredible."

"Not as incredible as you," he said, pulling out the necklace and clasping it around her neck. "Besides, you're with a Malfoy. Nothing but the best for you, my dear."

"I have something for you too, but you can't have it until later," she said with a smirk. "I have to go though. Potions, you know?" Ava leaned forward and kissed him passionately before standing up off the common room couch.

"I want it now," he mock-whined, grabbing her hand and pulling her back down. "He's the only wanker in the castle making you go to class on Halloween. Can't you just skip it this once? Please?"

"You know Snape would kill me," she said, kissing him once more. "I'll be back soon, don't worry."

"Alright… But come back as soon as you can," he called after her as she took off towards the door. Draco had turned into a near perfect companion, which shocked Ava in a variety of ways. She had stopped questioning it, however, and had learned to accept his new form- even if she was the only one who saw it. He still remained the same old Draco, especially when Potter and his entourage were around.

The hallways weren't very busy as it was right after lunch and most of the students were either in their common room or out on the grounds, enjoying their day off. Ava quickened her pace and made her way down to the potion lab in record time, bursting into the office as soon as she got there. Snape was seated behind the desk, leaning back in his chair slightly as though he had merely been waiting for her to arrive.

"Happy Halloween," she said with a devious smile as she struck a seductive pose in the doorway. She quickly continued walking and inevitably ended up climbing into Snape's lap. He immediately wrapped an arm around her waist and let the other one rest dangerously high up her thigh.

"Happy Halloween, my love," he said quietly as he nuzzled himself into her neck. Ava leaned into him gently and his grip on her tightened, pulling her close.

"I have something for you," she said with a smile, causing him to pull back slightly and look at her.

"Oh really?" he said, smirking. "And what's that?"

"Here," she said simply, pulling out a miniscule pouch from her pocket and enlarging it with her wand. She handed him the now fairly large jar for him to unwrap, which he did immediately. A smile crept across his face as he stared into the jar.

"Dragon's blood?" he asked quietly as he gently sloshed the rare red liquid around in the jar. "How did you… How did you get so much of it?"

"The Malfoy's aren't the only wealthy, pureblood family around," she said with a smile. "It was either this or a book, but I couldn't think of anything you would want that you didn't already have."

"Thank you," he said, setting the jar gently down on his desk before kissing her, "and now, for _your_ gift."

"Severus, you didn't have to get me anything," she said as he turned the chair slightly and opened the bottom drawer of the desk. He pulled out a large envelope and handed it to her without saying a word. She stared at it briefly as a million ideas ran through her head as to what could possibly be inside.

"Open it," he finally said, squeezing her leg gently. Ava slid her finger under the flap and pulled out the contents. The November issue of '_The Alchemist's Gazette_' rested in her hands and a page had already been marked with a slip of parchment. Ava glanced at Snape questioningly, but he simply nodded in response, urging her to open the magazine. Once open, Ava's eyes immediately stopped at the top of the page, where in big, bold letters it stated:

**Pepper-Up Potion: New Method; Better Results  
**_Produced by: Ava Coombs and Severus Snape_

Ava stared blankly at it as the weight of it sank in. She read the heading over and over again, barely able to comprehend what he had done.

"You… You published this? You published it in here?" she stammered, looking back and forth between Snape and the magazine. "They liked it? They said it was good?"

"Of course," he said silkily as a smile curled the corners of his lips up. "It's bloody brilliant. Even the editor, Horance Fletcher, thought it was genius."

"He did?" she asked, now grinning broadly at him. "I can't believe it! Severus, this is amazing! This is probably the most incredible thing anyone has ever done for me. I just can't believe it was good enough to get published!" Snape held her tightly and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her passionately as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She ran her fingers through his hair, brushing it back and away from his face as she melted into him. "Severus," she murmured between kisses, "I love you." Snape immediately froze and pulled away gently, watching her for a moment before he spoke.

"Why would you say that?" he asked slowly, keeping his gaze locked on her. "You know the rules."

"You know why I said it. Besides, publishing our work isn't breaking the rules?" she demanded, instantly putting her guard up.

"That's different. It's not the same as saying something like that," he said, pushing her off his lap so that she crashed to the floor. After months of this treatment she was used to it and quickly scrambled to her feet. "It's just sex," he continued as he began pacing back and forth in the office.

"You mean to tell me that you don't love me?" she said, making a futile attempt to block his path, which he nearly ignored with the exception of shoving her out of the way.

"It's got nothing to do with that Ava," he said sharply.

"So you _do_ love me then?"

"Stop it!" he yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her against the wall. "Enough! Let it go Ava!" She hit the wall hard but, once again, was completely unfazed by it. Their 'meetings', as he liked to refer to them, had progressively gotten more and more violent as time progressed. However, lately they had leveled out somewhat. Ava had come to the conclusion that there was really nothing left to do without it resulting in any serious physical damage.

"Fine Severus, have it your way. We'll have meaningless sex all the time… Just like you want," she said sharply, causing him to finally stop in his tracks and look at her.

"It's not meaningless," he said with an eerie stillness to his voice as his eyes darkened. "Besides that, when I tell you to stop, you stop," he hissed, crossing over again to her quickly. Ava braced herself as he pushed her into the wall, pressing his body against hers until she was barely able to breathe. "I don't know what's gotten into you, my pet. I thought we had gotten past all of this? I thought you had finally found your balance with Malfoy and I."

"I thought I had too," she said softly, keeping her eyes locked on him. "If you want, I can tell you that I didn't mean it, but then I would be lying," she whimpered.

"Enough, you foolish girl! You don't know what you want. You're confusing your lust with some abstract emotion in an attempt to fulfill some sort of deranged fantasy you have. I don't know what you want me to tell you Ava, as I've already told you: _I am not the man you want me to be, _and I've given you plenty of reasons as to why. If you really were in love with me, you'd see that," he sneered as a lanky hand reached up and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. She was immediately pulled from the wall and dragged into his personal quarters. Once inside, Snape pushed her into the bedroom and onto the bed. She curled up onto it, folding her legs underneath her as he began to pace back and forth in front of her.

"You're wrong, Severus," she said meekly, furrowing her brow slightly as she waited for another outburst.

"Excuse me?" he said as he stopped in his tracks and turned his head slowly.

"You've never given me any good reason as to why you refuse to let yourself feel something for me," she said simply, despite his obvious irritation.

"I've given you plenty of reasons!" he roared as his hands went flailing about for emphasis.

"No you haven't. You gave me some bullshit excuse in a pathetic attempt to hide the fact that you're just too scared to admit that you feel the same way. You want me for yourself, don't you Severus?" she asked, watching him completely unfazed. "I think I should go," she said quickly, making an attempt to climb off the bed.

"What do you think you're doing?" he said loudly. Ava stared at him blankly from her spot on the bed, as his remark had halted her movements. A million thoughts ran through her mind, yet the overwhelming reality of his rejection, yet again, was sinking in. She had to get out and she had to do it fast. The last thing she needed was to show anymore signs of weakness in front of him.

"I'm going back to the common room. It appears neither one of us are having a very good day. Of course, I take full responsibility for this. I should have never told you how I felt," she said quietly as she rose from the bed.

"It's an illusion-," he began before being silenced by an unusually cold look from her.

"You have every right to stand there and tell me that my feelings aren't returned, just as you have every right to try and convince yourself that you don't feel the same way. What you don't have the right to do, however, is to stand there and tell me that _my_ feelings aren't real. You may not agree with them, or even understand them, but don't you dare stand there and tell me that I'm wrong, or that I don't know what I'm feeling. I love you, Severus Snape, and for the first time in my life I feel like I belong somewhere and I do. I belong with you. If you're to stubborn and unwilling to see that, that's fine, but I am _not_ going to wait around until you do. Goodbye Severus," she snapped, brushing past him quickly and heading into the classroom. On the outside she was cool and calm, almost emotionless. On the inside, however, she was a wreck. Her heart was pounding so loud she could hear it, and it felt as though any minute she would break out into hysterics. As she walked towards the dungeon corridors she silently begged him to come and stop her, to call her back and tell her how much he loved her.

* * *

It was supposed to be a happy day, or as happy of a day as Severus Snape could manage to make it. He had spent an almost infinite amount of work getting Ava's potion published, which was no easy feat as she was still a student. She was going to come in, tell him 'Happy Halloween,' and then throw her arms around him and tell him how wonderful he was for publishing her work. She was supposed to kiss him passionately and then he was going to carry her into the bedroom the way he longed to carry her-like she was his bride- and he was going to make love to her. Not sex… No, sex and love were two different things. For the first time he was going to show her how much she meant to him by treating her the way she deserved to be treated. That should have been enough, even though it could be viewed as the coward's way out. But, he had never been good at expressing himself verbally, so he had decided the best way to show her how much he cared about her and needed her was to literally _show_ her…

But then she said it. She had to say those three little words that had caused him so many restless nights. Those three words, eight letters in all, that were so simple and sounded so beautiful coming from her lips. For a fleeting second his heart had skipped a beat and he had known what it felt like to be loved and appreciated and cared about. He had finally felt important to someone, and not just because he was their Head of House or professor. No, in that fleeting moment he saw in her eyes and felt in her touch that he was not only a professor, and one she found brilliant, but a kindred spirit and someone whose presence radiated into the very depths of her soul. He was loved, and it had been the most amazing feeling he had ever experienced in his life.

"_Stupid bitch," _he thought as he sank onto his now empty and cold feeling bed. Just moments before, she had been sitting in the exact same spot, and he had hoped he could talk some sense into her. His mind had raced furiously as he tried to come up with any reason to keep her from feeling that way about him. When their relationship, or whatever it was, had started, he had no intentions of pursuing it past anything other than physical encounters. It wasn't that he didn't fancy her, or find her stimulating in every possible way, but he was hardly deserving of her sex, let alone her love. Unfortunately, as time had worn on he found that he had simply come to adore her in every way possible. She was intelligent, beautiful, witty, sexy, submissive, alone, confident, and cynical, all in one nicely wrapped package. In all reality, if he had still believed in finding "one true person", she would have been it. Her seeming infallibility however, was exactly why he couldn't let himself feel anything resembling love for her. She was perfect and Severus Snape did not deserve perfect.

He had watched her walk from his quarters, through the office, and into the classroom. She had not looked back once, but as soon as she had entered the classroom he had ran over to his office door and peered through the crack in it, watching her walk away from him. He had felt pain many times before, but the feeling he had as he watched her leave was something entirely foreign to him. It felt as though someone had physically reached into his chest and was crushing his heart with their hand. It became apparent to him, as he stood there, exactly what people had always meant by using the phrase "broken heart." However, he found it to be the understatement of the century. Broken would have been welcomed at this point, as what he felt resembled something similar to someone squeezing the life out of him and had concluded it must be similar to a dementor's kiss.

Now he sat on the edge of his bed and stared blankly at the thick, wooden door that led from his quarters into his office. Part of him wanted to run out and find her and scream out to everyone in the castle that he cared about her and wanted her to be his… He still couldn't admit he loved her, not yet and possibly not ever. He didn't deserve it. Yet the only thing he wanted to do was to tell her he did, even though it was nowhere near logical for him to do so. Instead, he sat on the edge of his bed and watched the door intently as though she would come through it at any moment and tell him everything was going to be okay. His eyes began to burn fiercely and his breath became slightly quicker and deeper as he felt the pain of her exit consume him all too quickly. A pale hand reached up and quickly wiped his cheek off. He was glad no one was around, though even if there had been no one would believe them if they had told anyone they had seen the coldhearted Professor Snape cry.

"Get… your… pants… off… now…." Ava said through quick and heavy breaths. Draco smirked at her as he peered down from his position over her and she began unclothing him roughly, causing a mild look of surprise on his face.

"Geez, Ava, I've never seen you like this before," he said with a devious smile, leaning down to kiss her.

"No kissing," she said abruptly as she put a hand on his chest to halt him. "You just get those boxers of and fuck me now." Draco stopped all movement and stared at her with complete disbelief, as though he couldn't have possibly heard her right. "You heard me," she snapped, grabbing him by the back of the neck and pulling him down so she could kiss him roughly, "Get naked and fuck my brains out."

"Uh… I…Yeah… Okay…" he stammered out, pulling off the remainder of his clothes. Speechless and now naked, Draco pushed his way into her letting out a deep moan in the process. Within seconds he was pounding into her, causing her to bite at his shoulder to keep from screaming out in pleasure. It didn't take long for Ava to reach her peak, wrapping her legs tightly around him as she did, and as soon as she went Draco followed. He collapsed onto her, still naked and covered in sweat, and she traced over his back lightly with her finger tips. "What the hell was that all about?" he muttered. Ava smirked slightly and kissed him.

"Happy Halloween," she said quietly.

"I love you," Draco said. Ava immediately stopped her movements and subconsciously held her breath. She had wanted and needed to hear those words so badly, and she had longed to return them for so long… Just not to Draco. Life was playing a cruel trick on her and the familiar stinging of tears began pricking the corner of her eyes.

* * *

Finding them was easy. Of course, he had really been looking for Ava. He was done feeling sorry for himself and making excuse after excuse as to why he shouldn't be happy. She said she loved him and wanted to be with him… Maybe she wasn't lying. She didn't look like she was, nor did she act like it. In fact, he was quite certain she was nicer to him than anyone had ever been in his life. That alone was scary enough, but he was done being scared. Severus Snape would be unhappy no more, and was finally going to fall in love.

It only took a second for the two to make their way into the hallways, his hands pawing all over her. They were too preoccupied to notice him lurking in the shadows, watching them patiently and following them to their destination. He smirked as she led him to the Room of Requirement, an interesting and mildly genius choice in location. Making a mental note to bring her back here himself, he waited until they were inside the room and pressed his ear against the door. He should have busted the door down, given Draco a detention and taken Ava back to his office. If he had known what was coming, he would have. Instead, completely mesmerized and, for the first time, a little appalled at Draco having sex with her, he snuck into the room and stood in the shadows once again. He had gone completely unnoticed, though he had a clear view of the pair on the bed. It turned his stomach to see them like that, to see _her_ like that, but for whatever reason he couldn't tear his eyes off her.

In one quick moment, her entire body tensed up and she moaned her pleasure into his skin as he followed suit. Snape's jaw tightened as he watched, though for whatever reason, he was finally able to close his eyes as she climaxed. Finally, the pair had relaxed with each other and he listened to her tell him "Happy Halloween." It had been her idea? Not his? Snape had always envisioned that sleeping with Draco was something completely devoid of passion and was definitely not something she would ever initiate. It appeared he had thought wrong though, as she very obviously had been the one who started this encounter…

And then the boy said it… He said the words that he, himself, had been too cowardly to say. He said the three little words that she had said to him earlier and the three words he had come to tell her. There was only one possible way things could get messed up, a way he had never even anticipated, and this was it. He watched silently as her entire body tensed up and his heart skipped as he silently begged her not to return it. There was a pause, and while it meant nothing to Draco, it meant everything to him. He knew what was going on in her head; she was cursing him right now, and hurting because she wanted so badly for Draco to disappear and for him to be in his place. Of course, he could make that happen… There would just be too many questions later and Lucius was an irritatingly prying man who would not let his son's death go unpunished.

"This is the part where you say it back," Draco's voice cracked. He was nervous and Snape was eating up every second of it. The smallest hint of a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, waiting to see her response. He momentarily debated whether she was going to humiliate him, scream at him, tell him she was in love with someone else… Any of it was going to be beautiful as someone needed to knock Draco down a peg.

"I'm sorry Draco," she said breathlessly. She was crying and Draco was confused, leaving Snape to conclude she was going to tell him about their relationship. Perfect.

"Why are you crying?" Draco demanded, though he gently brushed a tear off her cheek. "This is supposed to be a happy thing."

"I know," she said with a half smile. Snape was unable to contain his excitement and was now grinning from ear to ear. "It's just… It's overwhelming, you know? I just love you so much and to hear you finally say it to me… It's amazing."

For the second time that day the pain was overwhelming. Snape slid down the stone wall, still hidden in the shadows of the room, and buried his face in his hands. He was too late. Everything he had built up in his mind, all the courage it had taken him to even try and find her, it was all for not. She loved Draco now and soon, Snape would be nothing but a bad memory to her. He didn't watch the pair get dressed, nor watch as they left. Once the door closed he did, however, manage to make his way over to the bed and lay down on it. Ava's scent still lingered on the sheets and pillow, causing the knife to sink even deeper in his chest. He buried his face in the pillow and inhaled her deeply before pulling the sheets up around him. A good part of him wanted to lay there until he withered away to nothing, which, he decided, was exactly what he was going to do. Inhaling deeply again, as he closed his eyes in an attempt to pretend she was still there, he let her scent linger as long as he could before exhaling again.

"I love you," he muttered into the pillow.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Over 1,000 hits... :) Thanks everyone! You all are awesome! As always, reviews are most welcomed if you feel so inclined to do so. It's always exciting to get them..._

9

The girl's bathroom in the Slytherin dorms was crowded full of the girls from the fourth year up. Ava stood amongst the crowd in front of a mirror, waving a wand over her hair. Her dark locks changed from straight to wavy to spiral curls to pinned up by magic as she surveyed each one from a multitude of angles. Finally settling on a style of loose waves, she waved her wand again and pulled out a thin, silver snake from its tip and placed it gently in her hair. The snake wound its way through the waves as she tilted her head, finally giving her image a nod of approval.

"Nice touch," Pansy said to her right, flashing a sort of smirk in her direction. Her normally sleek hair had been magicked down to her waist and pulled back in a loose, curly ponytail. Ava smiled half heartedly at her for a second before turning back to the mirror.

"Thanks," she said nonchalantly before raising her wand up again. Another fancy wave applied a light coating of makeup, heavy on the black eyeliner of course. It was a little more sophisticated than her everyday routine, but it still had a fairly natural appearance to it. Her porcelain skin shone in the dimly lit bathroom, only enhanced by the lightest hint of a shimmer she had put on. "Who are you going to the ball with?" Ava asked in an attempt to make casual conversation.

"Blaise, of course," Pansy replied as she dabbed a little lip gloss on her lips. There had been an unspoken tension between the two girls since Ava had started dating Draco seeing as Pansy had never made any attempt to hide the fact that she was madly in love with him. "We've been dating for quite some time now. He's amazing."

"That's great Pansy," Ava said as she pulled her dress off the ornate chair behind her. "I'm glad you two are happy together." Stepping into a changing room, she hung the dress up on a hook and stared at it. It was sexy yet elegant at the same time. She was almost certain that McGonagall was going to have something to say about, but that was all the more reason to wear it in her opinion as there was nothing like ruffling the feathers of an old bat. Ava pulled the dress down off the hanger and quickly slipped into it. A tight black corset covered her top half, leaving her shoulders and most of her chest exposed, while the black skirt barely touched the floor. An intricate pattern in silver weaved around the bottom hem and thin silver piping accented the bust line. It fit perfectly and screamed nothing less than wealth and class. She opened the door and stepped out as Pansy let out a shriek.

"Oh shit Ava! You look hot… That's amazing," Pansy said sincerely as she eyed her up and down. "Going out of our last Masquerade Ball with a bang, huh?" Ava smirked as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror once more.

"You think it looks okay?" she asked as she turned awkwardly in an attempt to catch a glimpse of herself from the back.

"If I was a guy… Hell, if I were single _I'd _take you to bed," Pansy joked as she turned back to the mirror. Ava sneered at a couple fourth year girls that were gawking at her, muttering about being underdressed. 

She grabbed the necklace Draco had given her that morning and clasped it around her neck gently, admiring it in the mirror. It was stunning and she adored the effort he had put into buying it, but in all reality it was a thoughtless gift. Snape, however, had done something that meant more to her than any piece of jewelry ever could. He knew exactly how she worked and exactly what she prided herself in the most; her mind. Publishing her potion was probably the most amazing and meaningful gift she had ever received in her life, which was confusing to her even more than he could possibly imagine. Getting a potion published was hard enough for an adult, let alone a student's work. By some stroke of luck, however, he had managed to get it done all for her, yet he still wouldn't admit he cared about her. Now she was left to spend her evening with Draco, which wasn't entirely bad, but Snape's lack of effort had infuriated her that day.

"Happy Halloween," Ava said quickly as she gave Pansy a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing the ornate black and silver feathered mask that was sitting on the counter. A wave of her wand stuck it to her face without any strings and she stepped out into the hallway, making her way to the top of the stairs. The noise coming from the room was almost deafening as the men stood around, impatiently waiting for their dates, and the younger classes huddled in their groups in anticipation of seeing what they had to look forward to. A few girls had already made their way down, but most of them were fourth years that looked incredibly awkward and nervous. Ava grabbed the banister of the stairs, clinging onto it tightly in an attempt to keep herself from falling in the ridiculously high heels she had on. As soon as she got halfway down the stairs Draco, who was only identified by his shocking white hair, stopped his conversation with Blaise and watched her walk down.

"Damn," Blaise said as she got closer. "Please tell me that's you Pansy…" Ava smirked slightly but walked right by him and hooked her arm in Draco's.

"Sorry dear, it's Ava," she said quietly as Draco stepped away from her and looked her over again.

"You look unbelievable… Like a dream… Sorry Blaise, but she's only fit to be a Malfoy queen," Draco said smoothly as he wrapped an arm around her waist. His face had been partially covered by a black and silver mask, though his icy eyes shone through without trouble.

"You look exceptionally handsome yourself, dear," she said with a smile as a pale hand reached up and rubbed his chest lightly. "Although, I expected nothing less from you."

"What are you talking about woman? I always look incredible," he said, straightening his collar out.

"Of course," she said, rolling her eyes slightly. "What was I thinking? Can we go now?" she asked, hooking her arm into his once again. "See you down there Blaise."

"Yeah… See you…" he replied absentmindedly as Pansy walked down. Draco began tugging on her arm and the pair exited into the hallway. It was nearly deserted in the dungeons, though the music could be heard playing throughout the castle, save in the common rooms. Ava began walking, but Draco pulled her off in another direction, completely opposite of the Great Hall.

"Where are we going? The ball is that way," she said, pointing down the other hall.

"Do you really expect me to look at you like that all night?" he asked, grabbing her hand and pulling it onto his groin. His obvious arousal was quite apparent now that she was looking for it, and she found it to be quite amusing.

"Draco Malfoy, do you really expect _me_ to shag you after I just spent all that time getting ready? I can't believe you… You're awful," she said with a smile, though continued to follow his lead as they weaved through the hallways.

"I don't care what happens… I just need to fix this," he muttered as they stopped in front of the Room of Requirement. The same door appeared and he pulled her inside, quickly shutting it behind them. A wave of his wand dissolved his mask and he smirked at her as he walked in a circle around her, as though he was about to pounce on his prey. "You look so sexy right now, I can barely think," he purred in her ear. Ava shuddered slightly as he ran his fingers lightly over her shoulders, leaving a trail of goosepimples in their wake.

"I'm not having sex with you right now," she said with a heavy sigh, thinking of the time she spent in the bathroom. Draco circled back in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Ava, I will never ask you for anything again. We're already down here, you look good, I look good, and you can't tell me you aren't a little turned on right now," he argued as his hands slid down her arms and he weaved his fingers with hers. She tilted her head slightly and let out another exasperated sigh before shaking her head.

"Fine Draco, but if my hair and makeup get messed up we're going back to the common room and you're going to have to wait for me," she said, making no attempt to hide the slightest hint of irritation in her voice. Draco slipped an arm around her waist as his other hand pulled his wand out and removed her mask. As soon as it was gone he dropped his wand on the floor and dragged her over to the bed as he pulled her dress off. She giggled slightly as he fell backwards onto the bed, taking her down with him. Draco pushed his lips against hers passionately as his hands trailed all over her body, causing her to moan slightly. Flipping her over, he pulled off his clothes and rested on top of her before kissing her once more. During a particularly passionate kiss he pushed himself into her gently, moaning into her lips as he did it.

"You feel so good," he murmured, thrusting into her slowly, but steadily. Ava tossed her head back and closed her eyes, letting herself get lost in the moment. It was all perfect; the candles, the atmosphere, the anticipation and constant edge for fear of being caught. Even the sex was good, with the exception of who it was with. It wasn't that she didn't care for Draco, because she most certainly did. However, she had spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out why, in the name of Merlin, she wasn't completely captivated by her perfect companion. Try as she might though, her mind wandered away and images of Snape flooded her brain. She tried her hardest to shake the thoughts away, but it felt as though her heart wouldn't let her. As wonderful as Draco was, she belonged to another man entirely. Her current situation left much to be desired though, as her ideal outcome seemed to be falling by the wayside. As much as she had convinced herself that Snape was the only thing that mattered, it seemed it was nothing more than a distorted illusion. Snape didn't love her; Draco did.

"Draco," she panted, causing him to increase the speed of his thrusts into an almost frantic pace. "Please… Don't stop…" she whimpered as she clawed his back. Draco let out a low growl and gave one last deep thrust, leaving Ava to tighten up underneath him. "Oh Draco…" she sighed as she ran her fingers through his hair. He kissed her lightly over her collar bone and groped her breast gently. "Okay, okay… Let's go. I don't want to miss the entire thing," she said as she pushed him off of her. After pulling her dress back on quickly and straightening her hair and makeup out in the mirror that had appeared, she turned around to find Draco already dressed.

"So… Want to meet back here after the dance?" he said, grinning deviously. Ava shook her head and grabbed her mask that he had floating beside her, placing it back over her face.

"We'll see…" she said as she walked right past him and out into the hallway, flashing a smirk on her way. He caught up with her quickly, as the door shrunk away behind them, and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"You still look beautiful," he said, kissing her neck quickly.

"I know."

* * *

The music was loud and the party was in full swing as the students crowded onto the dance floor. Ava glanced across the room at Draco who was talking with some fellow Slytherins as she took a long pull from her butterbeer. Her eyes wandered across the hall as she scanned the fellow students, laughing at a group of Ravenclaws obviously dressed in hand-me-down dresses, before she locked eyes with the snarky potions professor, who made no attempt to hide he had been watching her. While he had a mask on, like everyone else, his presence was unmistakable as was his appearance. The familiar feeling of longing to be wrapped in his arms and feel his lips on her began to swell up but she quickly suppressed it. He had broken her heart, whether or not he knew it, and even though she wanted to be with him she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. Turning her head coolly instead, she spotted Draco who was walking towards her. He extended a hand out, which she took immediately, and led her onto the dance floor.

It was a quick song and the pair rocked out to the music that blared loudly in the hall. McGonagall was walking the dance floor and splitting up couples who were dancing too provocatively, or not dancing at all but rather trying to conceal their intimate moments in the crowd of people, and stopped short as she saw Ava.

"Interesting choice of attire Miss Coombs," she said dryly, eyeing the young witch and her revealing dress up and down. Ava smirked at her and mimicked her actions, taking in the high-necked, stuffy robes she had on.

"You as well," she said arrogantly, turning her attention back to Draco. McGonagall immediately stomped off and headed up to Snape where she immediately got into a heated discussion with him. After a few minutes of this she stomped away and took a seat next to Dumbledore, who was watching the students with a highly amused look on his face. Once again, McGonagall went into a long winded rant, more than likely about Ava's dress, although Dumbledore merely nodded politely at her while he kept his eyes on the dance floor.

The music stopped briefly before a much slower song came on and Draco wrapped his arms around her waist before pulling her close. She rested her head gently on his shoulder and he played with the ends of her hair briefly before placing his hand protectively over her head. She smiled slightly as they swayed with the music for a while before someone lightly tapped her shoulder. Jumping slightly, she turned around until she was face to face with Snape who glanced up at Draco and cleared his throat slightly.

"I apologize for the intrusion, but I was wondering if I might be able to steal your lovely girlfriend, and my brilliant apprentice, away for a dance. That is, of course, if it's all right with you as well Miss Coombs," he said smoothly, extending his hand out to her. Draco nodded his approval, but not before stealing a quick kiss from her. He wandered off the dance floor and returned to the group of Slytherins, leaving Ava to fend for herself, as Snape offered a lean hand to her. Her gaze darted back and forth between his palm and his eyes in utter disbelief at his audacity. "If you don't take my hand soon, it will look awfully awkward," he said smoothly. Ava finally slipped her hand in his and he pulled her only a touch too close for a courtesy dance. The proximity was imperative though, as it was just close enough for her to be able to hear his murmurs.

"You look beautiful, my love," he said quietly after a few moments of silence. Ava stared up at him, unable to speak from the shock of hearing the ridiculous pet name. She opened her mouth for a moment, but closed it again quickly before looking away. Snape smirked slightly at her behavior before squeezing her side gently. "You have every right to be upset with me Ava," he continued on, "but I'd appreciate it if you came down to the office when the ball is over and had a drink with me."

"My deepest apologies Professor, but I believe Draco and I are going to be spending the rest of the holiday alone in the common room," she said dryly, doing her best to keep her expression as emotionless as possible. "That is, unless you plan on following us around the castle again."

Even with the mask, Ava could see what little color that was in Snape's cheeks drain from them. His entire body stiffened slightly and, for the first time, she had left him without any snide comeback. It was his turn to feel uncomfortable and completely helpless to her power, as she had just taken control.

"You… You saw me?" he breathed, avoiding her gaze as best as he could. If it weren't for the complexity of the situation, she would have thoroughly enjoyed watching the unshakable professor crumble in her hands. Reveling in her accomplishment would have to wait however, as it was no cause to celebrate.

"Of course I saw you," she hissed. "Honestly Severus, I thought one of the reasons you found me so appealing was because of my outstanding intellect," she said sarcastically. "Did you really think you had gotten away with it?"

"Does Draco know?" he finally managed to blurt out. While he had regained his melancholic attitude, his voice wavered just slightly enough for Ava to know he was still shaken by this new information.

"No," she said, swaying in rhythm with him. "I have no reason to tell him as it would only complicate things and a further complication in my personal life is the last thing I need, as I'm sure you can imagine. I have to ask you though as I've been dying to know all day… And mind you, don't try and lie to me about this because I _will_ know… How did it feel when I told Draco I loved him?" her voice was dangerously steady and her green eyes were shinning vividly through her mask, full with the anticipation of his response. Chalk it up to her youth, but the idea of hurting him as badly as he had hurt her was utterly appealing at the moment. His jaw clenched, which elicited a smirk from her, and he once again fell into a silent for a period before answering.

"This is neither the time, nor the place for this discussion Ava," he said barely above a whisper.

"Coward," she spat back, though she couldn't help but smiling at his response. While he had made a valiant effort to avoid the question, his unobtrusive response was all she needed. The song finally came to an end and he immediately released his hold on her, though kept his ground for a moment. The pair finally locked eyes and she stood defiantly, refusing to walk away from him again. This time he was going to have to walk away from her.

"I'm sorry," he finally said as a pained expression hinted from underneath his mask. The music started up again, another fast song, once again drowning out their conversation to any prying ears. "Every moment I've spent with you has been incredible…" he continued, pausing briefly, "and I would take back every second of it if it meant I could take back hurting you. As amazing as the time I got to spend with you was, seeing you like this- broken, hurt, closed off, emotionless- it's more than I can stand and for that, Ava, you have my deepest and most sincere apology. I never meant to hurt you but, then again, I never meant to care about you either." Without giving her a chance to respond, Snape turned on the spot and walked back towards the staff table. Ava stood motionless as the festivities went on around her, and she processed and replayed his statement over and over again. Draco finally snuck up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to jump violently before spinning around.

"Merlin, Draco… You scared me," she said breathlessly. He grinned broadly at her before slipping an arm around her shoulder, but his enthusiasm was not returned.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked as he pulled her close.

"It's just…Snape…" she said as her brain tried to catch up to the present moment. "We have a potion going and he just told me I have to go down there when this is over and do some work on it," she lied. There really was no option though as going to see Snape was something she had to do. What she was going to do when she got there was yet to be figured out, but she was going nonetheless. Draco looked highly irritated at the news and shot a dirty look towards the staff table.

"Tell him to go to hell and that you're not coming. It's Halloween, a time to celebrate, and I was planning on taking you back to the room and shagging your brains out until you weren't even able to walk," he said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Just blow it off," he finished. Ava sighed heavily and shook her head.

"I can't. He'll kick me out, without question, if I don't show up. No room for error with Snape, you know," she replied, playing up her annoyance so well that she almost believed it herself.

"I'm saying something to Dumbledore," Draco snapped. "This is absolutely ridiculous! Not only has he got you working on a holiday, but having you come down in the middle of the night is highly inappropriate… Hey- do you think he fancies you? I mean, of course he thinks you're bloody gorgeous… Look at you… But do you think he likes you a little more than that?" he asked, lowering his voice as he cast a sideways glance at Snape. It took every ounce of strength for Ava not to crack a smile, though she pulled it off successfully.

"No way," she said seriously. "Snape? Are you kidding me? The only thing he fancies is handing out detentions and making my life miserable." There was some truth to the statement, though in an entirely different way from what he was thinking. Draco studied her for a moment before finally nodding his agreement.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. I don't think the greasy git would even know what to do with a witch, let alone with someone like you," he purred in her ear before quickly flicking his tongue over it. She let out a tiny gasp followed by the smallest of giggles. Just as she was feeling herself slip back into the role of devoted girlfriend, Draco's mood instantly changed as a group of people came walking towards them. "Look at that Ava," he sneered, watching the group as they walked by, "you could pick Weasley out from a mile away with that hair. There isn't a mask in the world that could hide that filth or, for that matter, hide how poor he is." A taller boy who could be none other than Harry Potter turned and stood dangerously close to Draco.

"Oooo Draco! I think Potter wants to kiss you!" Ava said coolly. "Looks like I have some competition, eh?"

"Ha! Potter could never be half the woman you are," Draco replied, though kept his eyes locked with his enemies.

"Shove it Malfoy. If you don't leave us alone I'll curse you right here in front of everyone," Potter said fiercely. Draco finally broke his gaze and glanced at Ava before they both broke into a fit of laughter.

"You're going to curse me? I'm so scared," Draco choked out between laughs as Ava held her side and shook her head. "You and who? Weasley? Or are you going to have your mudblood fight your battle for you?" A girl that was standing next to Weasely stomped her foot angrily, causing Ava to take a few steps forward and look her up and down.

"Is that you mudblood?" she purred as her lips twisted into a smirk. "Merlin, did you have Weasely buy your dress for you? You look awful! What is this? Cotton?" she laughed as the girl shifted uncomfortably. Much to her surprise however, Granger pulled her wand out swiftly and had it pointed at her throat. Ava immediately responded by pulling her own out and Draco followed suit, though his was pointed directly at the girl's head. "You don't have the nerve," Ava hissed. Go ahead. I dare you."

"Children!" came McGonagall's shrieking voice, causing the music to stop. She hurried down from the staff table and made an unsuccessful attempt to push her way between the girls. "Lower your wands. _Now!_"

"Not a chance," Ava said dryly, keeping her eyes locked with Granger's. After a few more moments of McGonagall yelling, Granger finally lowered her wand with a snort. Draco's came down first and Ava's followed shortly after, though she kept it in her hand. McGonagall turned around and began yelling at Snape to get down there and control his students which gave Ava an opportunity to step closer to Granger. "Watch yourself mudblood," she hissed at the girl. "We wouldn't want you drinking any poisoned pumpkin juice at breakfast tomorrow, now would we?" Ava took a step back, smirking at the horrified look in the girl's eyes, as McGonagall turned back around and whisked her students away. As soon as they moved out of view they revealed Snape standing with his arms crossed, looking quite irritated at the situation.

"Malfoy… Coombs… Follow me," he snapped, walking by them quickly and into the hallway. The pair followed closely behind him as they weaved their way back through the dungeons and into his office. "Sit," he said before shutting the door and taking a seat behind his desk. His elbows rested on the surface and he began rubbing his temples with his eyes shut. The room was silent for a few moments before he finally spoke. "As much as I couldn't possibly care any less that you got in a fight with Potter and his groupies, Professor McGonagall would have my head if I didn't deal out some sort of punishment. Aside from that, the fact that you two have ruined my night by pulling me away from the ball is worth a punishment of its own. Malfoy, detention with me on Monday at 7 o'clock. Now go back to the common room and do _not_ stop anywhere along the way. You're done for the evening. If I catch you out of the common room you can expect detention for the next two weeks," he said dryly. Draco stood up but hesitated as though he was going to wait for Ava. "Did I stutter Malfoy? I said get out," he snapped. "Miss Coombs will be staying here for right now," he said.

Draco stomped out of the office, clearly annoyed, and slammed the office door shut behind him. Snape leaned back in his chair and studied Ava carefully as she sat awkwardly across from him. Pulling his wand out, he waved it smoothly and her feather mask dissolved as it had done with Draco. Feeling highly exposed all of a sudden, she shrunk back into the overstuffed chair and glanced up at him.

"You look stunning," Snape said quietly, finally breaking the silence.

"I was going to come down here after the ball," she blurted out, tearing her gaze away and examining a bookshelf.

"And why were you going to do that?" he asked gingerly, as though he was afraid one wrong word was going to set her off. Another bout of silence fell as Ava searched for the answer to his question as she still hadn't come up with a plan.

"I don't know," she finally said, standing up as she did so. Snape watched her every move, remaining motionless, and his eye followed her as she walked towards him. Once at his feet, she dropped gently onto her knees and rested her head in his lap. Almost instinctively, his hand came up and he began stroking her head lightly, brushing the hair away from her neck so he could lightly run his fingers over it every so often. Closing her eyes, she grabbed his other hand and laced her fingers in his as she left herself get lost in the moment of just being with him. "I can't lose you," she finally muttered into his lap.

"You won't," he said quietly. "Just promise me that I'm not going to lose you either." Ava reached up and pulled herself into his lap, which he let her do before wrapping her in his arms possessively. "I can't promise I'm going to change, but I _can_ promise that I'm never going to stop needing you." As he spoke his hand slid up her side and began working at the zipper to her dress. Within second it was pooled around her waist, though she hadn't moved and was still clinging to him. "And not just physically either…" he continued, "but mentally and emotionally as well."

The entire day had been an emotional rollercoaster for the young witch and she was unable to control the silent tears that began spilling onto her cheeks. Always the observer, Snape immediately reached up and brushed them away without a word almost as though it was the least he could do after causing her so much turmoil and heartache. In between his attempts to keep her tear-free, he began slipping her out of her dress and undergarments until she was naked in his lap. She had come to realize that having her this way was one of his favorite things to do and, in some weird way, she had learned to enjoy it as well. It was rare that he took any of his clothes off at all, opting to merely adjust his garments until he was able to perform the necessary actions, though she was almost always stripped bare by him. The fast approaching winter had cooled the dungeons off considerably which left Ava to curl up even more on his lap. Snape's hands wandered her body gingerly, caressing every single one of her curves from every angle as her tears finally subsided. Despite her body's involuntary physical response to his touch, her emotional state was far from wanting to be intimate in any way. His hand trailed between her legs and settled in the dampness as he kissed the top of her head.

"Let's go to bed," he said softly, finally achieving a reaction from her. She glanced up at him, a bewildered look on her face, and his fingers toyed with her gently, though more for his pleasure than hers. "You heard me," he said, answering her unasked question. "I need you to stay with me tonight. I'll make sure you get back before anyone notices." Ava mumbled her approval and he scooped her up into his arms as he stood up, carrying her into his bedroom and setting her gently on the bed. She climbed underneath the thick, warm linens as he stripped down completely for the first time before crawling into bed with her. Scooting as close as she could to him, the pair intertwined their limbs and stayed that way, soaking in the feeling of their bodies pressed against each other.

"Don't do that to me again," she finally said quietly. He ran a finger lightly down her jaw and tilted her head up so that he could get a good look at her.

"Why are you here?" he asked, studying her face as his brow furrowed. "You have so much going for you, it seems like spending your time on me is a waste." Ava shook her head slightly as she felt a pain in her heart from the raw, openness of his words before she pressed her lips against his lovingly.

"You don't give yourself enough credit for how amazing you are Severus," she said gently. "And I'm here because this is where I'm supposed to be. I don't belong anywhere else." Snape rolled onto his back and pulled her with him so she was resting in between his legs with her head on his chest, while his hand found its way back between her legs and began rubbing her gently. She kissed his chest as her hand ran lightly up and down his side and she closed her eyes and relaxed once again.

"That's good to know," he whispered as she let out a soft moan, "because I don't belong anywhere else either."


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Thank you, thank you for the reviews! It's always great to get them smiles Hope you all enjoy this, though there's no smuttiness in it... I definitely wrote this one very, very quickly, but I think it turned out okay. (Come on, they all can't have mass quantities of sex) Also, I'm working on another story that's kind of centralized around Draco more... Just wondering if anyone's interested...  
_

10

The Slytherin common room was nearly empty and Ava was lying on a couch, staring at the low ceiling above her. A hand had come up to absentmindedly twirl the necklace she had received from Draco, and she let her mind wander into nothingness as she sat there. The door opened, though she remained still, and she heard the footsteps from the culprit close in on her. As much as she had come to enjoy spending time with Draco, she really needed a moment to herself. Fate was unkind however and a shock of white hair flashed by as he jumped gently onto her stomach.

"Hello love," he said with a grin, leaning over to kiss her forehead gently. "Made a decision yet?" Ava let out a sigh and laced her fingers with his before pulling his hand close so she could kiss the top of it.

"Yes and… Yes. I would love to come home with you for Christmas. I sent an owl to Mum and Dad earlier, not that they'll mind, and I've just about got everything packed that I need. You're parents really don't mind?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Course not," he said as he stood up and pulled her with him. "Mum is absolutely thrilled that she gets to meet you and Father is… Well, I think he's just happy that I found someone as amazing as you are," he said with a smile. "We leave first thing in the morning. Want to go get some dinner?" he continued, pulling her off the couch and leading her towards the common room door. She followed without hesitation but the look on her face caused his expression to turn sour.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly before making an attempt to explain as they stepped into the dungeons. She was cut off though as Draco shook his head and held a hand up to stop her.

"I know. You have to go do your potion bull shit with Snape… Always with Snape… I swear, he gets to see you more than I do," he growled. Ava grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side of the hallway before pinning his shoulders to the wall. There was an unwavering intensity in her eyes and the look on her face told Draco it would be foolish to press the issue.

"For the last time, _this is my future._ Believe me Draco, I want nothing more than to spend every waking second with you. Unfortunately for both of us, that's not possible. Doing this will open so many doors for me and I can move up in the industry so quickly with the experience I've had working wi-," she stopped abruptly as a confused look swept over Draco's face and he pushed her away gently.

"I don't understand why it matters? You aren't going to need to work! What; you think I can't take care of you? You think my family doesn't have that kind of wealth? I can assure you Ava, you're going to have a very posh lifestyle and you won't ever want for anything. I don't get why you're so consumed with all this potion crap. _Who cares?_ It's not like you're ever going to have to support yourself!" he said fiercely as he paced around the hallway and waved his arms for added emphasis. Ava stared at him completely bewildered, on various different levels, at his statement. First and foremost, they had never spoken about marriage before and the idea of something so finite was overwhelming to her. Second, the idea that she was going to sit at home and be some sort of trophy wife for him made her physically sick to her stomach. She had seen firsthand the kind of life that was, as her mother had chosen that path, and from a very young age there had been no doubt in her mind that that was not going to be the life she led. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a few deep breaths before opening them again to find Draco staring blankly at her.

"Let's get through the holiday before we worry about that," she said quietly. "Go get something to eat and I'll meet you back in the common room later." Without waiting for a response she turned around and headed off quickly towards the potion lab as Draco let out a sniff and turned the other way. Pushing the door to the classroom open roughly, she was surprised to find Snape standing in the middle of the room and peering over into a cauldron. "What are you doing?" she snapped. His head raised slowly and he stared at her with mild confusion at her harsh tone towards him. "Sorry," she said before he got a chance to speak. "I didn't mean that towards you."

"Trouble in Paradise?" he said smoothly as his gaze returned to the cauldron. Ava took a seat at one of the desks off to his side and stared straight ahead for a minute before slamming her hand on the desk.

"He just wants me to sit at home! Just _sit_ there," she said with a disgusted look on her face, as though she had just smelled something awful. "Who does he think I am? I'm not Kat, I can tell you that much. I have a brain and I'm smart and I want to _use_ that, not just bring it up at parties. Oh, that would be of course if I even got to speak at them. I'm sure if he had his way, I'd just hang on his arm and follow him around like some sort of puppy," she sneered. Snape glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he began stirring the contents of the cauldron.

"I'm not quite sure if I'm an acceptable choice of company for this particular conversation," he said softly. "I believe I have quite a skewed view on the situation." Ava dropped her head and it slammed into the table though the sting didn't affect her. She made a quiet whiney sound into the wood before turning her head so she could see Snape.

"You have nothing to do with this," she moaned, shoving her face into the wood once more. "He wants us to get married and that, my dear professor, has nothing to do with you."

"And why's that? I don't get a say in this? Or an opinion even?" he asked, remaining unusually calm while he spoke. "Being as intelligent as you are, you had to know this day was going to come eventually."

"Of course you can have an opinion and I welcome it. As far as "this day" however, I'm not quite sure as to what you mean and I have no desire to think anymore right now. Care to elaborate?" she muttered into the table as he trickled a few drops of the dragon's blood into the cauldron. After sealing it back up, Snape waved his wand and produced a seat on the other side of the desk before sitting down. She finally raised her head up off the table, though it was just enough so that she could get a clear view of him.

"As I see it, you've come to a sort of fork in the road, so to speak. You, and when I say you I mean _you_, need to make a decision on where you want your life to head. Knowing the facts and knowing the situation you're in, you have to decide how you want to spend your life," he said, leaning back in the chair. "One way leads you towards an easy, comfortable life in the lap of luxury and filled with love and warmth and emotional fulfillment, but is less than desirable from a mentally stimulating perspective. Another leaves you pushing yourself and potentially achieving great things and becoming one of the most brilliant witches of your time, but is completely devoid of the comfort and security that option one has. The third, however, is to try and balance a life of secrecy and deceit where you will never be comfortable around Draco and will never be able to obtain the intellectual stimulation you thrive off of. It's quite the quandary, now isn't it?" Ava stared at him for a moment as his words sank in before slamming her head back onto the table.

"Ow," she mumbled.

"If I may, what's your first instinct? Without giving it any thought for rationality or from a logical point of view, where does your gut tell you to go?" he said, gently prodding a response from her. Ava sighed heavily into the table before picking her head back up and looking at him blandly.

"I want to be with you," she said simply. Snape opened his mouth as though he was about to speak, but Ava finally sat up straight and cut him off. "Honestly, Severus, you think I don't understand my options? Let me see if I really can understand this… Option one: Marry Draco and give myself to him completely, which in turn means I leave you and will never get to work again. Option two: Stay with you and get to work, but accept the fact that you will never love me and never commit to me and that, while I'll get a sex life, I'll have no emotional fulfillment or… Option three: Continue playing this bullshit game that you've made me a pawn in… Did I get it? Does that about sum it up?" Despite the sarcastic tone in her voice, the faintest hint of a smile was forming across his lips as he leaned forward and rested his arms on the table.

"Nothing gets past you my dear, does it?" he said dryly. "You pretty much nailed it with the exception of Option two, as you so eloquently put it. Love and commitment are not the issue, as I'm quite sure I've shown you both of those things. I, however, am not capable of offering you the life you're used to. You say that doesn't matter, but you've never known anything other than wealth and comfort. Coming from that, it would be easy to assume life was always pleasurable."

"I'm willing to make sacrifices if you are," she sneered as she stood up and made her way over to the cauldron. She stared at the contents for a moment before grabbing a vial off the desk and measuring a bit of the powdered contents in her hand before dumping it in. "It was ready for the powdered ashwinder eggs," she said simply before stirring the liquid counterclockwise. "What are you making a love potion for anyway?"

Snape stood up and was quickly by her side with an almost panicked look on his face. She glanced up at him, immediately sensing the tension, and sat the wooden spoon back onto the desk before taking a step back. "Why are you making a love potion?" she repeated.

"How did you know what that was?" he asked, glancing back and forth between the witch and the cauldron. "How did you know what I was brewing?"

"I wouldn't have gotten this apprenticeship if I didn't know a thing or two about potions," she snapped. "Now answer my question…" she trailed off before the same panicked expression formed on her features as a sudden realization came into view. "Have you been… Is it for… This isn't…" she stammered, backing up away from him quickly. He shook his head and made an attempt to close in on her, but she continued pulling away from him until she finally darted around a desk so that it sat between them. "You've been giving me a love potion?! Merlin… I think I'm going to be sick…" she said, grabbing at her stomach and bending over at the waist. "I can't… No…" Snape saw his opportunity and quickly hurried around the desk, making an attempt to grab her hand. "Stay away from me," she said loudly as she scrambled away quickly from him before finding a path towards the classroom door.

"Ava, wait!" he yelled, with no result.

The stares she received from her fellow students didn't even faze her as she ran out of the dungeons and into the main castle. She didn't slow down once until she was out on the snow covered grounds and, despite the bitter air around her, she was unaffected by the chill of winter. Stopping abruptly, she tilted her head back and closed her eyes as she panted from her run, letting the reality of what had just happened sink in. Suddenly, the past few months turned into a far more complicated mess than it had been, and her whole relationship transformed into nothing more than a lie. Just as she felt her heart begin to slow down a voice snapped her back into reality and she turned her head quickly.

"Ava!" Kat's voice called out as she stomped towards her. "Long time no see." While the words were friendly, the tone and look on Kat's face was anything but. "So is stealing boyfriends your new past time, or was it just a one time thing?" Ava stared blankly at her trying to force herself to understand what she was saying through the haze of what had just happened.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ava finally managed to blurt out.

"I'm talking about Draco, you bitch. Everything was fine and then all of a sudden he was head over heels in love with you. Said he just couldn't be with me anymore; that I could never compare to you," Kat spat furiously. "And don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. I have it from a good source that you two were messing around together before he ever broke up with me."

"Kat, I don't know what you're talking about…" Ava muttered, still trying to process everything. "Draco never said… I thought…"

"Well you thought wrong you whore!" Kat screamed as she pulled her wand out. Any other day it probably would have worked and Ava would have ended up in a sorry state as she would have never harmed Kat in any way. Today, however, had left Ava far too unstable and before Kat could mutter a single word Ava had whipped her wand out and shouted "_Petrificus Totalus!_" Kat's body immediately went rigid and she toppled over into the snow. Ava took off in a dead sprint yet again, only to slow down as she came to a line of trees.

Traipsing through the snow, she stumbled into the Forbidden Forest until the trees became so thick that not even a shimmer of sunlight made its way through, let alone snow. The ground was cold, but dry, and she found a small clearing that she stood in the middle of. Screaming out in anger, she threw her wand to the ground and turned around, punching a tree in the process. A few birds scattered from the tree tops and flew away causing her to jump slightly before she slumped over into a pile on the earth, examining her bloody knuckles. Within an hour's time her entire world had been turned upside down and she couldn't help but be in awe at how quickly life could change. If anyone would have told her that morning that before night fell she would be more alone than she ever had been in her life, she would have told them they were crazy. Despite the depressing turn of events, it was humbling to realize that things could change at any moment.

Crawling over to a tree, she leaned against the trunk and closed her eyes as her bloodied hand rested in her lap. She was not one to cry easily as weakness had never been acceptable in her family, for any reason. Fighting hard to hold the tears back, she was already ashamed that both of the men in her life had seen her cry at some point; her father would have been so disappointed in her. Opening her eyes briefly, she looked around the clearing to reassure herself that she was, in fact, alone. As her eyes closed gently once more, tears began streaming down onto her cheeks and trailing down until they dropped onto her school robes. A big part of her wanted to stay in the forest for the rest of her existence, cutting off all ties to Draco and Snape. Relationships were supposed to make you happy and give you a sense of comfort, not leave you in a forest crying. She couldn't help but let out a laugh through her tears as self-pity took over and she realized that she had two chances at love and couldn't do it right with either man.

* * *

It was well after dark when Ava finally emerged from the forest and made her way back to the castle. She had fallen asleep at some point, using an unusually large root from the tree as a pillow, and tiny fragments of leaves and small twigs were stuck in her hair. The temperature had plummeted drastically and she began shaking as the warm air hit her skin that had been exposed to the frigid, winter atmosphere for so long. She had no way of knowing for sure, but she was quite certain that her lips had taken on the slightest hint of blue and was thankful that the hallways seemed to be empty. The walk to the common room was without interruption and she silently hoped that she would make it up to bed with the same luck. There was no doubt in her mind that she was going to be in trouble for what she did to Kat, but dealing with it tomorrow would have been preferred. With the way her day had gone though, it should have been no surprise that she wouldn't be that lucky.

As soon as the common room door swung open she let out a heavy sigh at the sight in front of her. While it was mostly deserted, the two people she longed to avoid the most were standing in the center, now staring at the entrance. She stepped further into the room and Draco immediately sprinted over to her and wrapped her up tightly in his arms as Snape watched her from the other side of the room. While her arms involuntarily returned Draco's embrace, her eyes were locked with the professor's and showed nothing but hurt to him.

"Where have you been Ava? I've been worried sick! You're freezing!" Draco said, pulling her onto the couch and grabbing a blanket before wrapping her up in it. "I thought you were mad at me and… I don't know. I'm so sorry; so, so sorry. I know how much this apprenticeship means to you and I shouldn't have belittled that. You're brilliant," he said, touching the side of her face lightly. "I just want you to be happy and if potions make you happy, then that make _me _happy."

"No, Draco…" she mumbled through chattering teeth. "It's okay. I'm not mad." Draco embraced her once more though Snape's eyes had never left the girl and she glanced up at him again.

"I love you so much," Draco whispered into her ear before kissing her cheek.

"I love you too," she said, keeping her eyes locked on Snape who, at her words, finally looked away. Draco finally pulled away slightly, but kept his arms around her as he rubbed her shoulders vigorously in an attempt to warm her up. Ava flashed the most sincere smile she could muster at him, but gave a quick nod towards Snape. "I think I'm going to have to go with him," she said quietly.

"What? No…" Draco said, turning around so he was facing Snape. "She's not doing anymore work tonight on your potions. We're leaving tomorrow morning and she needs to get some sleep-,"

"No Draco," she said gently, resting her hand on his knee. Draco turned back to her, slightly confused. "I cursed Kat today on the grounds and left her there. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to go talk to Dumbledore." He looked even more confused than before she had spoke, but Snape took a step forward and finally added to the conversation.

"Precisely," he said curtly. "Miss Coombs, if you will?" he said, motioning towards the door as she stood up and pulled the blanket off her. Draco followed suit, taking the wrap from her hands, and embraced her once more.

"I'll wait up for you," he murmured into her hair. She touched the side of his face gently and smiled before leaving a quick kiss on his cheek.

"No, you go to bed and get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow," she said gently before Snape cleared his throat impatiently. She cast a sideways glare at him before kissing Draco's lips and hugging him quickly again. "I'll see you in the morning. Get some sleep, I'll be fine." Ava turned away without a glance at Snape and marched out of the common room and into the hallway. She made a turn towards the castle but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"We're going to my office," Snape said with a coldness in his voice that Ava had long since forgotten. The pair walked silently through the dungeons and into the classroom before weaving their way back into his office. She was surprised to find it empty, as she had expected Dumbledore to be there, but Snape closed the door behind them and pointed to the chair opposite him at his desk. She settled slowly into her seat before leaning back and crossing her arms defiantly, scanning the bookshelf to her side. "You're lucky I have such a pull with the Headmaster as I was able to convince him to let me deal with you myself. Regardless, you're not going to be able to get out of this one unscathed. Because of our relationship however, I'm willing to hear your side of the story and work out some sort of punishment that we can both agree on," he said flatly.

"What relationship?" she spat, finally staring at him fiercely. As tired as she was, the fact that he was dismissing the day's events as though it had never happened brought up a whole new batch of rage. "Oh… You mean when you tricked me into thinking I was in love with you, only to deny me the pleasure of having it be returned? You're a sick fucking bastard, you know that?" Snape arched an eyebrow but had a mildly amused expression on his face, which infuriated her even more. "Don't you dare smirk at me as though this is some sort of joke. I can't believe I let myself…" Ava's breath began to quicken and she grabbed the arm of the chair gently, "…I can't believe I thought I loved you. I can't believe I thought it was real…" she said quietly. "I feel so stupid," she whispered as tears threatened to consume her for the second time that day. The smirk from Snape's face instantly vanished at the sight of this and he reached down underneath his desk, returning with a large jar of shimmering, pink liquid. He sat it on the desk and rotated it slowly until Ava was able to read the label.

_Professor Sprout_

"Not all of the staff here at Hogwarts has been as lucky as I have been when it comes to the opposite sex. While striking up a romantic relationship with a student isn't exactly standard practice, I daresay I've been quite fortunate… Or at least I thought I was," he said quietly. "She asked me to do her a favor, which I happily obliged to, as she has always kept my supply cabinets stocked full with any ingredients I need. Secrecy is of the utmost importance as I'm sure you can imagine how quickly something like this would spread throughout the student body. I was going to explain, but you jumped to conclusions so quickly that before I could try and reason with you, you had taken off. While relationships have never been my strong suit, I like to think that I'm at least capable of acquiring a girlfriend without a love potion." Ava stared at him, mouth slightly open, as her cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of red. Sorry wasn't appropriate as she was quite certain she had never wanted to put her foot in her mouth more than at that particular moment. The overwhelming embarrassment of what she had done, and what she had accused him of, was almost too much for her to process after the day's stress. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "What happened to your hand?" Snape said abruptly, causing her to look down at her forgotten wound.

"Um… I had a run in with a tree," she muttered, brushing it off. Snape immediately stood up and rummaged through a cupboard before crossing to her side and dropping to his knees. "It's nothing…" she said, trying to keep her hand away from him.

"Ava, I don't care how you got it or why it's there. I'm not doing this because I'm your professor, I'm doing this because I care about you and when you care about someone, you want to help them if they're hurt," he said as he grabbed her hand firmly and began wiping it off with a clean rag. She watched him work, not being able to help the faint smile that formed as he took care of her so lovingly. Each movement was delicate and precise so that he didn't cause her any more harm than she had already done to herself. Grabbing a bottle of thick, blue liquid he held it over her hand for a second before glancing up at her. "This is going to sting… A lot."

As painful as it was, Ava was almost sure that he winced from it more than she did. Her skin was almost instantly repaired, though Snape wrapped her hand up anyway before flicking his wand, causing his supplies to return to their home. As soon as everything was back in its place he turned around and rested his hands gently on her knees as she stared at her bandaged hand.

"What happened with Kat?" he gently prodded. Ava shook her head, keeping her gaze in her lap, and Snape rubbed one of her knees tenderly.

"It was stupid. She accused me of stealing Draco away from her. It was right after I had… talked with you," she said quietly.

"Needless to say, you were pretty upset I assume?"

"Yes."

"Alright then," he said, standing up and walking back to his desk. "I have to do something about this, even though I feel partly responsible for it. Kat wants you expelled…" Ava gasped but Snape shook his head slightly before continuing, "…but the Headmaster thinks that's significantly too extreme for the crime. Rather than beating around the bush though, as they say, I suppose I should just come out with it he proposed. He wants you to remain here for the holiday," he finished. Ava immediately shook her head adamantly, sitting up a little taller in the chair.

"No," she said firmly. "I'm going to the Malfoys over the holiday and I'm not going to miss that."

"My dear, I don't think you're going to have much say in the matter. Believe me, that was the least harsh of the options," he said quietly. Ava stood up out of the chair and began marching towards the office door when he gave a wave of his wand, locking her in. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to talk to the Headmaster. This is ridiculous," she said impatiently. "Do you know how rude that would be? He can't keep me from going to spend the holiday with my family! And besides that, what the hell am I supposed to do here?"

"First, you aren't going to spend the holiday with your family and second, would spending some uninterrupted time with me by that horrible?" he asked, keeping the same calm and rationale tone to his voice.

"It's not that Severus…" she said quickly. "I'd love that, but I've already committed myself to the Malfoys and I can't back out at the last minute. I want to go talk to him. I don't care what the other punishments are; it can't be as ridiculous as this… Who does he think he is, telling me where I can go and what I can do-," she stopped as Snape interrupted her.

"You'd loose your apprenticeship," he said loudly. Ava stared at him blankly for a moment as his words sunk in.

"What?" she asked breathlessly, as though he couldn't have possibly meant what he said.

"He wanted me to drop you from the apprenticeship. I came up with the idea of keeping you here and explained to him that you were going to the Malfoys, so it would really be a punishment. I apologize, as I know it puts you in an awkward position, but I went out on a limb and assumed you would rather miss out on a trip with Draco rather than loose all the hard work you've done here. I'm sorry if I made the wrong decision," he said as the same calmness returned to his voice. She absentmindedly walked back over to her chair and sunk into it, still in shock from what he had said. Comparing the two options, she had gotten of extremely light. Draco was going to be upset but Snape had looked out for her best interest and had, in fact, made the correct decision.

"You know what?" she said quietly, still staring at nothing in particular. "Draco isn't going to understand this."

"I'm sorry…?" Snape replied as though he was unsure of how to respond. She finally snapped back into the present and stared at him intently.

"You automatically knew exactly what I wanted and what meant more to me… And not only did you know what to do, but you did it. You protected me, even though you didn't have to and that means… It means more than you could ever know. I just wish you would accept the fact that you love me because you don't do something like that unless…" she trailed off as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Forget it," she continued quietly as she stood up and crossed over to him. Once she was close enough she leaned down and pressed her lips against his softly as her good hand came up and ran through his hair gently. When they finally parted, she rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes. "Thank you so much Severus. I hope you know how much that means to me."

Kissing him briefly once more, she backed away and let out a heavy sigh as she crossed towards the door. He waved his wand from behind her, unlocking it for her and she rested her hand on the doorknob before pausing for a minute. Inhaling deeply again, she let her breath escape slowly as she turned around and looked at him lovingly.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning," she said with a smile before vanishing into the darkness of the classroom.

"I still love you," he whispered under his breath as the office door closed.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Woot! 2000 hits and climbing! Thank you all for reading and thank you again to those of you who have left reviews. I really do love getting them so much... It brightens my day! grins Now... On to the story! I really think you're all going to like this chapter, as it really twists things around, though some things are left unexplained, but have no fear... Questions will be answered soon... In the next chapter..._

11

The boy's dorm had emptied out for the holiday, which gave Ava an opportunity to sneak up as Draco finished gathering the rest of his things. She was lying on her back on his bed, staring at the top of the four-poster, as he stomped around the room and slammed things into his trunk. Neither one had spoken to each other in a few minutes, though Draco had done plenty of muttering under his breath and none of it had been too pleasant.

"Can't believe it… Ruined Christmas… Stupid Kat… Had to curse her…" he murmured as he violently threw a stack of books in his trunk.

"Will you stop it," Ava finally said harshly, sitting up so she could get a better view of him. He stopped moving for a brief second and glared at her before continuing on with his task. "Do you think I _like_ this arrangement? Do you think I _want_ to stay here for the holiday? Stop being such an arrogant prick. At least you get to go home…" she hissed.

"Yeah… _Without you!_" he yelled at her, tossing a pile of shirts in the trunk. "This was supposed to be our holiday. You were going to meet my parents and… Oh, forget it," he said as he slammed the lid to the trunk closed. A flick of his wand locked it and another swish shrunk it down until it was small enough that he could place it in his pocket. He began heading towards the door and Ava immediately kicked her feet off the bed and followed him as he marched down into the common room. "I'm leaving now," he said abruptly as he turned around to face her. "Bye."

"I don't get a hug or anything? Just 'Bye?' That's it?" she said, genuinely annoyed that he was being as difficult as he was.

"Fine," he said, embracing her quickly. "Happy now? Bye." Draco turned around and began heading towards the door.

"Draco!" she said loudly as she lunged for his arm and spun him around so he was facing her once more, "Stop acting so immature about this! Is it awful? Absolutely. Would I change it if I could? In a second," she said, her voice calming down a little as she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "There is nothing in this world that I want more than to be able to wake up Christmas morning and be with you. If I could have traded anything else for it, I would have. As hard as this is for you, don't you think it's hard for me too? It's my fault I can't go and seeing you upset… It kills me Draco. I love you so much," she said, brushing his blonde hair back so she could see his piercing blue eyes. Leaning in carefully, she left a passionate and loving kiss on his lips before pulling away again.

"I love you too," he muttered. "Have a good Christmas, okay? I'll be thinking about you."

"Same here," she said, finally letting a slight smile creep onto her lips. Draco kissed her quickly before turning around to head out the door.

"See you soon, love. Miss you already," he called over his shoulder.

"Miss you too!" she shouted back as he disappeared through the door into the halls. Turning around, she slumped over to a couch in front of the fireplace and sank into it as she watched the flames dance. It had bothered her that she had to break an invitation that Draco's parents had extended to her. It also bothered her that she had to spend the holiday alone at Hogwarts. What irked her even more than both of those combined though was the fact that while Snape had an enticing offer of some much needed alone time, she found herself longing to be at Malfoy Manor instead. Sure, spending the holiday with Snape would be wonderful, but the idea of having a family Christmas with someone who loved her back was… Almost too good to be true; which was why she was sitting alone in the Slytherin common room.

* * *

There was a hollowness to Snape's eyes that could only be achieved by staying up all night. With dark circles surrounding them and a slightly sallow look to his skin, he stared absentmindedly at the wall of his quarters. A half empty bottle of firewhiskey was on the table, along with a used glass, and he let out a heavy sigh as he leaned further back into the couch. Ava had been on his mind, though that was nothing new. What had kept him up all night was the fact that every time he had closed his eyes, all he could see was the look on her face when he told her she couldn't go to the Malfoy's. If the day's events prior to that had been less eventful, he might have reveled in the fact that he had been able to manipulate her life around once more. It wasn't that he wanted to hurt her, but he did enjoy seeing at what lengths he could push her to and just how much control he had over her. She had called herself a pawn in his game and she was just that; or at least she had been. That had been before he had realized that she was exactly what had been missing in his life. A companion.

Rubbing his eyes roughly in an attempt to rub the tiredness out of them, he felt his jaw clench slightly at the guilt that he had been trying to drink away all night. Trying to decide whether or not he wanted to stay the way he was, or to let Ava in completely and have a go at a real relationship, had left him weary. While he had never been good at courting or keeping a girlfriend, he was positive that his actions the day before were hardly the way to go about doing either one of those things. She had forgiven his inability to commit, his refusal to acknowledge that he loved her, and even his often times violent behavior towards her. Somehow though, despite all of the hell he had knowingly put her through, he had a sinking suspicion that she wasn't going to be able to forgive him for lying to her. Of course, this wasn't a small, irrelevant lie like, "No dear… Of course those robes don't make you look fat." This was lie that even _he_ was shocked that he had attempted to pull of.

Ava had just run out of his classroom, upset that he had supposedly been making a love potion and feeding it to her. After glancing at the cauldron briefly, he took off through the halls after her. Of course, he couldn't go running as it would have been obvious that he was chasing after her and, as far as the other students were concerned, there was no reason why Snape would chase after anyone. Almost as though fate had wanted him to find her, his feet had carried him up to the entrance hall and out the front doors. She had stopped halfway across the grounds and even from the distance he was he could tell that she was visibly upset. Just as he was about to continue on his journey, her friend, whose name had eluded him, had started some sort of altercation with his beloved. With nothing but pure rage behind the curse, more than likely directed at him, Ava had sent her friend toppling to the ground and taken off once more, darting into the Forbidden Forest. Glancing around quickly, Snape hurried down towards where the girl was lying in the snow. After quickly muttering the counter-curse, the girl sprang back to life and he extended a hand, pulling her out of the snow.

"You saw what she did to me, right?" the girl had shrieked in an exceptionally annoying voice.

"Yes," he said simply, glaring at her. "Fifty points from Slytherin," he said sourly, eyeing the girl's reaction. She wasn't satisfied. "And I'm going to get her right now… I can assure you she will be properly reprimanded for this." That seemed to do the trick and she had turned around and haughtily stomped back up towards the castle. Snape continued slowly walking towards the forest and stepped just inside the line of trees, far enough so he was hidden but close enough so that he could see the castle. Once he was satisfied that Ava's friend had gotten far enough in the castle, he reemerged and made his way back to the dungeons.

Of course, he could have simply told Ava what he did and advised her not to do anything like that again. That would have been the simplest and most responsible way to handle the situation. However, an opportunity had presented itself for Snape to toy with Ava once more, only this time it would be in his favor. It was sitting in the exact spot on his couch that he currently was in that he had come up with the idea to keep Ava from going to the Malfoy's. He would blame it on Dumbledore, naturally, but nevertheless he would be able to keep her at the castle for the holiday and, for the first time since he was a boy, he would be able to celebrate with someone.

* * *

Finally glancing at the clock, Ava realized she had been staring into the fireplace for the better part of two hours. She kicked her feet up onto the couch and scooted down until she was lying on her side, still watching the fire endlessly burn. Draco would have been at Malfoy Manor for a while now and she felt her stomach turn as she had grown quite fond of the idea of spending Christmas with him. She knew she should get up and go see Snape as it would take her mind off of Draco, but self-pity was far too enticing and she felt much more inclined to spend the day wallowing on the couch. Just as she was settling in, the fireplace began to spark and crack wildly and a pair of feet landed in the center of the flames. Ava sat up quickly and stared blankly as Draco emerged, dusting himself off.

"Draco?... What are you doing here?" she asked, thoroughly confused.

"I came to take you back to the manor," he said, though not as happily as one would imagine. Ava's brow furrowed and her mouth gaped open.

"I can't go Draco and you know that…" she said slowly as her eyes narrowed. The idea of running off with Draco and breaking the rules was enticing, sexy, and devious and she contemplated it briefly. However alluring it was though, Snape would find out and she highly doubted he would cover for her on something like that. Before she could say another word, Draco had stepped closer to her and was holding out a piece of parchment. "What is this?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Father was highly displeased that Dumbledore would ruin our families Christmas and thought it was completely out of line to keep you from leaving for the holiday, even if it was to our house. That," he continued, pointing towards the parchment, "is Dumbledore's response." Ava stared at him blankly for a moment, trying to figure out what he was getting at, before staring at the parchment. Her hands wearily came up and unfolded the already opened letter, bending it so she could see it clearly.

_Lucius,_

_I sincerely apologize, as there seems to be some sort of misunderstanding. I have not seen Miss Coombs in quite a while, and I certainly have not dealt out any punishment as harsh as that to any of my students, nor would I ever. I couldn't possibly fathom keeping students away from their families during the holidays, and you can rest assured that I haven't begun with Miss Coombs. I do hope that this has not caused you, or your family, any inconvenience and if I can assist in any way possible to straighten this out, please do not hesitate to ask. You are welcome to come and retrieve Miss Coombs from Hogwarts if you wish and I will be in my office if you have any more questions regarding this issue. _

_My Deepest Apologies,_

_Headmaster Albus Dumbledore_

Ava's stomach churned and her hands began to shake slightly as the full weight of the letter sunk in. She immediately stood up and looked at Draco, fire burning in her eyes.

"My things are still packed from last night. If you don't mind though, I'd like to take care of something before we leave. May I keep this?" she asked, holding up the letter to him.

"Of course," he said, taking his turn to be slightly confused. "Are you going to talk to Snape?"

"I haven't decided yet," she lied, "I might go see Dumbledore first. Either way, I'd like to go before I leave so that I won't dwell on it over the holiday."

"Of course, love," he said with a smirk, leaning forward to place a kiss on her forehead. "With Father's pull at the Ministry we were able to open up the floo's here at Hogwarts. I'm going to head back, but when you're done just say 'Malfoy Manor' and use this," he said, pushing a small pouch in her hand. "Want me to send our house-elf to get your things?"

"That would be wonderful," she said with a smile, controlling her rage with an exceptional elegance. "I won't be long at all."

"Can't wait to see you," he said, throwing a handful of powder into the fire before yelling "Malfoy Manor." Ava watched as he spun away and the fireplace returned to normal. As soon as he was gone she took off towards the door and pushed it open violently as she stepped into the hallway. Fragments of thoughts swirled through her mind, yet she was unable to string any of them to form one coherent idea. Before she realized it, she found herself crossing the potion lab and towards the familiar office door. Without thinking twice, she pulled her wand out and shot a jet of light towards it causing the door to bang open. With a quick glance into the room she continued on to Snape's quarters, opening the door in the same fashion. It was here that she found him in mid stride, obviously in an attempt to find out what the commotion was about.

"Well, well… I knew this was going to be an exciting week, but I never anticipated this, my dear," he said as he turned around and took his seat back on the couch. He was completely oblivious to her anger as he hadn't really studied her expression. As soon as he was seated he glanced up at her and his mood instantly changed. "What?" he said simply. Ava took the parchment that she had unconsciously balled up in her fist on her way down and threw it forcefully at him. Snape's eyes narrowed as he undid the letter, though his expression turned into one of panic as he read the letter. Once he was finished he looked up, startled to find Ava's wand inches away from him and pointed directly at his throat. The pair locked eyes and it seemed as time stood still, one afraid to speak and the other incapacitated from rage.

"I am done with you," Ava finally said dangerously. "I don't think you could possibly understand how furious I am right now." Her hand shook slightly, but her gaze was focused and her voice did not waver. He stared at her for a moment, letting her words sink in, before speaking.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I made a horrible mistake and I understand why you're upset. Go with Draco and have a nice Christmas and we'll talk about this when you get back and have had time to cool off."

"Cool off?" she spat fiercely, feeling herself teetering on the edge of loosing control. "_Cool off?_ Who the fuck do you think I am? I have given you everything I possibly can, including my trust and my love, and you have done nothing but hurt me time and time again. This," she said, ripping the parchment out of his hands, "this is the last time you're going to do this to me. I love you Severus, but love is not enough." Ava crumpled the parchment and pushed it into the pocket of her robes before stuffing her wand in as well. "I _am _going to go to the Malfoy's and I _am_ going to cool off from this. What I'm not going to do, however, is come back here and talk to you about it when I get back. You are done controlling me Severus, and I am done being controlled. Goodbye," she snapped before turning around and starting towards the door. Before she was able to get halfway there though, Snape had jumped from the couch and pushed his way between her and her destination.

"Ava," he said quickly, "you have to believe that I did it out of pure selfishness, jealousy, and love. I just wanted to be able to spend a whole, uninterrupted week with you." The words came rolling out without giving Snape time to think about what he was saying, but in retrospect he felt there was no better time than the present. He stood wide-eyed, silently praying that all would be okay and her expression would soften, though it didn't happen. Instead, Ava reached an arm back before slapping him hard across the face.

"Selfishness? _Love? _How dare you?!" she screamed. Snape's immediately changed and his eyes darkened threateningly.

"So you're going to take charge on this one Ava? Going to stand up and be strong, are you? You certainly are beautiful when you try and act like you're in control," he snapped back at her. "You forget, my love, that I'm the only one who sees you for what you really are. The whole world sees the smart, confident woman you portray yourself to be. I, on the other hand, see you as nothing more than a scared, fragile little girl that longs to have some sort of control and stability in her life. I am that control and I am your stability," he said. Stepping closer, he moved slowly and ran the back of his hand down the side of her face. "You need me, my love. You need me just as much as the air you breathe and the blood the runs through your veins," he continued, trailing his hand lightly down her neck. Ava's eyes narrowed and she threw her shoulders back. "You need me just like I need you," he finished with a hiss, his lips inches away from her neck.

"Fuck you," she said quietly before pushing him out of the way and marching back into the office. Just as she got to the door to the classroom she stopped abruptly as a jet of light shot past her head.

"You can try and deny it Ava, but it will never work. Draco can't give you what you need. I can. He'll never love you like I do," he said, lowering his wand and swallowing hard as he waited for her response.

"You don't love me," she said. "If you did, you would have never lied to me over something so trivial. If you had come to me a week ago and asked me to stay here, or to think about staying rather than going with Draco, I would have stayed. I would have done anything for you Severus, but not anymore. Oh," she said, taking a step towards him, "don't you ever throw Draco in my face again. You're the reason I'm with him and you get to live with that. It looks like you aren't a smart as you think you are. Never thought I'd fall in love with him too, did you?"

Ava walked quickly from the office leaving Snape to stand hopelessly alone, watching her leave. As soon as the classroom door shut, he crumpled into a heap and sank to the floor. He had finally told her he loved her, in a roundabout way, though it had definitely not been how he imagined it, and this time it really had been too late. After a few moments, he climbed back onto his feet and stumbled into his quarters. The half empty bottle of firewhiskey was still resting on the table, though Snape by passed it for the moment and picked up the empty glass instead. Without a second thought he turned and threw it as hard as he could at the wall, only to turn around and grab the bottle. He momentarily contemplated throwing that as well, but uncorked it instead and raised it to his lips. Tipping his head back, he let the firewhiskey drain into his throat until there wasn't a drop left, knowing it would be the first of many bottles that week.

* * *

"Malfoy Manor!"

Almost in an instant, Ava found her feet hitting solid ground as she landed gracefully in the fireplace. It appeared as though Draco had been waiting patiently as he sprung from his chair and hurried towards the hearth, offering his hand up to assist her in getting out. She smiled brightly at him, though it was a false display of enthusiasm. While she had become quite accomplished at putting on this show, it never seemed to get any easier. Despite her anger, inside her heart was breaking at having lost the one man she truly loved.

"Here," Draco said, dusting her robes off for her, "that's better. Now, do you want to go up and change and then meet my parents, or would you prefer to go now?" Ava glanced down at her sooty school robes before casting her gaze back towards him.

"I think I better go change," she said sweetly. Draco nodded and motioned for her to follow him before taking her hand and guiding her through a series of twisted hallways. After ascending a few flights of stairs, weaving through a few more corridors, and passing through multiple different rooms, Draco stopped at a large French door that was made out of a rich mahogany.

"Here we are," he said with a grin. "Your things are already here."

"I don't know how I'm ever going to find my way around your house Draco," Ava said, glancing over her shoulder from where they had just come. "Don't get me wrong, I don't live in any shack, but this is… Big." Draco stared at her with a mildly confused expression before it broke into a grin.

"Oh, darling…" he said gently, "this is just my wing. The rest of the house is that way," he finished, pointing in the opposite direction. Ava looked at him, slightly stunned, before he wrapped his arms around her neck. "Don't worry, my love. You'll learn it soon enough, as I hope you'll be spending a lot more time here. Until then, I'll take care of you." Ava buried her face in his chest and let out a heavy sigh, doing her best to push Snape out of her memory. When they finally broke the embrace, Draco let go of her and put his hand on the door. "Ready to see our room?"

"_Our_ room?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Of course. My parents aren't stupid. I could say we were sleeping in separate rooms, but having my own wing, they'd know one of us would sneak into the others room and… Well, you get the point. Mum's not _entirely_ thrilled with it, but she understands and Father is… Pleased, to say the least," he grinned. "Now come on. I want to see what you think of my room." As Draco opened the door, Ava expected to see something that closely resembled her own. While it wasn't far off in décor, the room itself seemed to be larger than her house. A row of broomsticks lined a wall, along with various trophies and plaques that he had acquired thus far in his life. The room had been decorated in Slytherin's colors, which made Ava feel quite at home, though the linens were of far better quality than at Hogwarts. A large window overlooked the sprawling grounds and there was an extremely cozy looking area set up with plush chairs and thick blankets so that one was able to sit and stare at the breathtaking view. By the looks of it, they were fairly high up and Ava guessed it had to be at least four stories. As she stepped further into the room she noticed her trunk, though the lid was open and it was empty. Draco obviously had been watching her and did not miss the mildly confused look on her face.

"Our house-elf insisted on laundering, pressing, and folding your clothes. She's quite good, actually and they're already tucked neatly away in my wardrobe over there," he said, moving close so he could wrap his arms around her waist. Ava smiled warmly and she reached a hand up to brush the hair away from his face. The steely gaze that she once had found so irritating was now piercing into her and she felt it to be more comforting than anything else.

"Do you think I'm scared and fragile?" she asked abruptly, glancing up at him so she could read his expression. His brow furrowed and he shook his head slowly.

"Absolutely not," he said. "In fact, if you were I don't think I would find you so utterly sexy… Why would you think you were?"

"I guess it's easy to feel insignificant when you're in the arms of a Malfoy," she teased with a grin, silently admiring how well she was handling herself after her argument with Snape.

"You could never be insignificant to me," he said smoothly, leaning down so he could leave a trail of light kisses along her neck. "Now come on. Let's get you cleaned up and changed so we can go down and have some tea with my parents."

It barely took any time at all for Ava to transform from a scrubby, Hogwarts student to a refined and elegant young woman. Her hair had been magicked into soft, gentle waves and she donned a black skirt that hit mid-shin, heels, and a deep green, silk shirt. The necklace Draco had given her was displayed proudly and she had added a few rather extravagant pieces of her own. As she stepped out of the adjoining bathroom, she found Draco lying on the large bed, waiting patiently for her. As she came into sight he stood up quickly and eyed her up and down.

"Merlin, Ava… You never cease to impress, do you? You look amazing, as usual," he said rather breathy. She flashed an award-winning smile before glancing down at herself.

"You think it's okay? Will your parent's like it?" she asked, looking back at him as he stepped close and ran his fingers lightly under her chin before leaning down to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"They'll love you, just like I do," he purred, causing her to melt into his arms. As awkward as it was, the idea of being out of Snape's hold was setting in more and more and she found herself enjoying the feeling of being able to focus on Draco and Draco alone. Blaming it on the stress, she was quite certain she had never realized just how amazing he was. "Ready?" he asked quietly, breaking her fleeting daydream.

"Absolutely," she said with a smile, taking his hand as he led her out of the room. After the stress from the day before, as well as the stress of the current day, she hadn't had time to get nervous about meeting his parents. During their walk, however, her stomach began turning and she had to let go of his hand briefly to wipe her sweaty palm off.

"Don't be nervous," he said, as though reading her mind. "You're going to be fine."

"Okay," she said, though she sounded completely unsure of herself.

"I'm not nervous, love, so you have no reason to be. I swear."

"Okay," she repeated as the pair arrived at a closed door. He stopped quickly and turned to her, resting his hand slightly on her shoulders.

"Ready?" he asked. Ava's stomach did a back flip and she felt as though she wanted to throw her breakfast up onto the expensive carpet.

"Ready!" she said with a grin, lying through her teeth. Draco returned her grin and chuckled a little, knowing full well she was lying.

"Love you," he said, leaning over and kissing her forehead quickly.

"Love you too," she replied just before he opened the door. Taking her hand once more, he led her into the room where she was able to get a proper glimpse of his parents for the first time.

"Mum, Dad… I'd like you to meet Ava Coombs," he said regally, pulling her gently forward as though presenting her for show. Both adults stood and she stepped forward towards his mother first.

"Mrs. Malfoy, it's a pleasure," she said sincerely, placing her hand in Narcissa's. "I can't thank you enough for having me over for the holidays."

"Pleasure to meet you as well, dear, and think nothing of it. As long as you keep my Draco happy, I'm happy," she said before returning to her seat. Ava immediately turned and placed her hand in Lucius' though he bent over at the waist and kissed her knuckles delicately.

"Ah, Miss Coombs. I've heard so much about you that's it's almost hard to believe we're finally meeting," Lucius said smoothly, showing off instantly where Draco had received his charm from.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, sir," she said, blushing ever so slightly at his gesture.

"Please, call me Lucius; and the pleasure is most certainly all mine," he replied, releasing her gently back to Draco. As soon as he sat down, however, Ava was unable to contain herself and let out a loud gasp at the sight behind him. Still seated in a chair, Snape sat quietly just off to the side. All of the rooms occupants turned quickly to look at her and she quickly closed her mouth that had unconsciously been left open.

"I'm terribly sorry," Narcissa said quickly, furrowing her brow. "Is there a problem Ava?"

"Oh… No," she said, quickly recovering and plastering the smile back on her face. "I apologize, but I failed to notice Professor Snape and he startled me… Aside from that, and I mean no disrespect by this Sir, but I was hoping to get away from you for a while," she said, attempting to make a lighthearted joke and direct the attention away from her fumble. Much to her pleasure, the Malfoy's chuckled briefly and settled into their seats as Draco gently pulled her towards a couch across from them.

"Ah, well, Miss Coombs, it seems we are destined to keep running into each other, doesn't it?" Snape said slyly, offering up a polite smile with the faintest hint of deviousness in it that only she was able to detect, merely from knowing him so well.

"It appears so, doesn't it Professor?" she responded politely.

* * *

The room was filled with lighthearted and airy conversation as the Malfoy's were finally able to get the chance to meet the young woman that had caught the attention of their son. Once the tea was gone, Narcissa snapped her fingers, causing a house-elf to appear that quickly cleared the table, and she stood up gracefully.

"Ava, dear, would you care to accompany me out on the terrace for a glass of wine?" she asked. Ava immediately stood up, causing all the men in the room to follow suit, and she smiled. "I think we're in some desperate need of some girl time."

"I would love to," she said genuinely. Draco grabbed and squeezed her hand gently before leaving a kiss on her cheek.

"You'll do fine," he whispered before smiling at her. Ava immediately followed Narcissa out of the room and once they were out of range, Lucius turned to his companions.

"Now that the women are out of the way Draco, I say it's time for a glass of brandy. Severus, would you like to join us?" he asked, turning to Snape who paused just long enough.

"I have some time and I think I could use a stiff glass," he said quietly. The men quickly departed, leaving Draco to follow along behind them silently. He glared at the back of Snape's greasy head with a sour look on his face. Despite reassurance from Ava, he had serious doubts over the professor's intentions with her and was none too pleased with how much time he spent with her.

Once the group reached the library, Lucius opened the door and led them all inside before offering them seats in thick, leather chairs. As Lucius sat down, after the other two were seated, he gave a wave of his wand and produced three rock glasses and a clearly expensive bottle of brandy. Once the glasses were filled and dispersed, he settled back into his chair and glanced at Draco.

"Ava certainly is easy on the eyes, now isn't she?" Lucius said smoothly, glancing at Snape for approval. Merely shrugging, he nodded after a minute.

"I suppose so," he said nonchalantly, as though the thought had never crossed his mind before.

"Tell me Draco," Lucius continued, "have you had any more luck calming her down? No offense Severus, as I'm quite sure she possesses some mild talent in potions, but if she's going to be a Malfoy she going to have to get her priorities straight. Her focus needs to be on you. Am I right, Son?" Snape glanced towards Draco as uninterestedly as he could, waiting for his response. Draco took a sip of his brandy before a smirk formed across his face.

"I'm getting there… Sorry Professor, but Father is right. She's got no business running around in a potion's lab. Although, I suppose she might be able to use it as a hobby whenever I go out," Draco replied, receiving a hearty laugh from his father.

"That's my boy," he said smoothly. "I have to say though, I'm impressed. She certainly seems like a feisty one, but not entirely all that smart. Although, Narcissa thought she was my one and only as well… Until we got married!" he exclaimed. "Actually, she reminds me quite a bit of Narcissa and I was able to calm her down without too much resistance on her end, so I'm sure Ava will be no problem."

"She's strong-willed," Draco said, taking another swig of brandy. "But you're right. She seems to believe that we have the picture perfect relationship, but I suppose that's what I'm going for."

"Does she love you?" Lucius asked, sipping his brandy as well as his eyebrow arched.

"Ha! She's head over heels, Father! It took a bit of work, but she caved in much quicker than I thought she would. I was almost disappointed as it gave me nothing to strive for, but ah well," Draco grinned. Lucius leaned forward and patted his knee jovial before retreating back.

"So now, down to the important stuff… How many and who have you got on the side?" he asked deviously, staring at Draco. Snape took a long swig of his brandy and leaned back into the chair, almost as though trying to melt away.

"Just two at the moment… Two, other than Ava. There's a Hufflepuff girl, I don't think you've heard of her, but just the tiniest little thing with such an amazing body… Merlin… And Pansy, of course. She's my constant… And if I had my way she'd be constantly on her knees. I'll tell you what, she does this amazing thing with her tongue that I just can't believe… Get's me every time," Draco said slyly, his eyes wandering off slightly as though he was remembering a particularly interesting encounter with the girl. "Anyway," he said, snapping back, "I've got my sights set on this Gryffindor girl though, as I felt up for a challenge. I won't keep her around though, so don't worry. I just want to see if I can get into her knickers," he finished. Lucius was beaming as though Draco had just told him he'd caught the snitch at the World Cup. Snape finally cleared his throat slightly and leaned forward just a bit.

"Aren't you concerned that Ava will find out about your… side projects?" he asked casually.

"Honestly?" Draco asked, as though Snape couldn't possibly be serious. "Not at all. That girl couldn't be anymore oblivious if she wanted to be… I suppose I owe you a 'thank you' though, as she so concerned with her little apprenticeship that she never notices when I'm gone. It's actually brilliant because she feels guilty for spending so much time with you and never even knows that I'm gone."

"Ah, I see. Clever lad, you are," Snape said quietly before leaning back once more. Draco tilted his glass and drained its contents before standing up and stretching his arms.

"Now, Gentlemen, if you'll both excuse me, I have to go find that beautiful piece of ass. I must say, she certainly gets me going and is perfect when you need a good shag. It's about the only thing she _is_ good at, though I suppose that's all I really need her for anyway," Draco said before heading towards the door.

"Right you are son," Lucius called out before turning and flashing Snape a smirk as the door closed. "Can you believe what an exceptional young man he's turned into?"


	12. Chapter 12

"Well, Lucius, I believe I should be heading back to Hogwarts," Snape said calmly, standing from his seat and handing Lucius the empty brandy glass. Lucius rose as well, draining his glass in the process, and nodded in response. "Right you are," he said, setting the glass down and heading for the door. "And thanks for stopping by."

"Of course," Snape replied, bowing his head slightly. "Which direction are the women?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at Lucius. The older Malfoy paused for a second before stepping out the door before him and motioning for him to follow. "I just think it would be awfully rude to leave without saying my good-byes and thanking your lovely wife for having me," Snape continued, almost as though answering an unasked question. Lucius merely nodded again and led him through the hallways until they were finally out on the terrace where the two women stood, a bottle of wine between them and smiles on their faces. With a gentle clearing of his throat, Snape managed to put a break into the conversation and both women turned to face him.

"Narcissa," he said, bending at the waist before taking her hand gently within his. "It has been a pleasure to have enjoyed your company this evening," he said politely, receiving a slight giggle from her. She was obviously no drinker and the wine had gone straight to her head, leaving her a little more relaxed than she usually was. "And Miss Coombs," he said, releasing Narcissa's hand and stepping to the side so that he had a better view of her. "If I may have a moment with you to discuss the potion we have, then I can leave you to enjoy your holiday?" he asked, receiving a controlled glare in response.

"Certainly, Professor," she said through slightly clenched teeth. Narcissa immediately nodded and headed into the manor with Lucius and the pair disappeared down one of the lengthy corridors. Ava grabbed his arm roughly and pulled him out of sight from the windows before digging her nails into his upper arm. "What the bloody hell are you trying to pull?" she hissed, her eyes filled with rage. Any release she had gotten from earlier was gone and the pure anger that had been pushed down was rising to the surface again with record speed.

"Ava, please… There's something I have to tell you… If you'll jus-," Snape attempted to spit out quickly before being interrupted by a slap across the face. "Alright," he said, his hand unconsciously rubbing his cheek where she had hit him. "I deserved that, and so much more. But please listen to me," he begged, grabbing her hands with his and pulling her close.

"How dare you come here!" she spat as she tried to free herself from his grasp. "How dare you try, yet again, to ruin my holiday? You are the most selfish prick I have ever known in my entire life!" She was doing her best to keep her voice down, though it was proving to be far more of a challenge than she had hoped. "Get away from me! Go back to Hogwarts! I don't want anything to do with you anymore!" she whispered, still fighting to get away. Out of natural instinct, knowing how she would react to what she was about to hear, Snape wrapped his arms tightly around her and pressed his lips close to her ear.

"It's not about us," he said gently. "It's Draco. He's not who you think he is." Ava briefly stopped fighting as her brain tried its best to figure out her next move. Almost a suddenly as she had stopped, Ava began struggling again, this time successfully removing herself from his grasp.

"You, Severus, have no right to be pointing fingers in that direction. You have NO RIGHT to accuse someone else of not being who they say they are," she choked out, feeling the all too familiar lump in her throat began to swell. "I am not doing this with you. You had your chance now get out," she said firmly, pointing towards the door. Had it been anyone else, Snape would have walked out and not given it another thought, almost pleased knowing they would find out on their own soon enough. He would have enjoyed knowing he tried to help and was pushed away as though he were a fool, only for the person to find out later that he had been right. But not with Ava. He had put her through hell enough already and what he had found out would be devastating to her. Not giving up, Snape stepped forward and embraced her once more.

"I know you're mad at me, and you have every right to be," he began, surprised that she had stopped trying to fight her way away from him. "And I know that what I've done can never be repaired," he continued as his voice cracked slightly. "But please Ava, you need to believe me when I say that I love you more than you could ever understand and it's because of that that I need to tell you this. You deserve to know," he said gently, running his hand through her hair now. He wanted nothing more than for Ava to break down and tell him how much she still loved him and needed him.

"I am at someone's house for the Christmas holiday," she said flatly, though even in the darkness of the outside Snape could see the tears threatening to take over. She was fighting him every step of the way, but her eyes gave away how hard it was. "I need to get back inside and spend time with Draco," she said quietly as she pushed her way past him and headed for the door. Before she could grasp the handle though, Snape grabbed her arm and stepped close behind her.

"Please meet me outside of the front gate at 2am. I'll be there regardless of what your answer is now, but you need to know this Ava. Please," he said with a quiet desperation in his voice before releasing her arm. Without even so much as glancing back at him, Ava turned the knob and pushed the door open. "Good night, Professor," she replied flatly before stepping into the house and leaving him outside. Shuffling quickly through the manor, she took a few deep breaths to regain her composure before finally reaching the door to the room that she and Draco were sharing. He was already lying in bed and she smiled at him as she undressed.

"I was wondering where you were," he said gently, flipping the covers back and patting the bed next to him. Ava glanced at the clock and took note that it was 10:30, meaning she had three and a half hours to figure out what she was going to do. Quickly undressing, Ava slid into the bed next to him a rested her head on his chest as he slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Big day, eh?" he asked, grinning down at her.

"Oh, darling, you have no idea," she said with a sigh as she closed her eyes.

It was 1:45 and Ava was staring at the clock on the wall, wide awake. Draco had fallen asleep hours before, though sleep had not been as kind to her. The conversation with Snape replayed over and over in her head, almost as though it was on repeat, and she was furious that she couldn't get it to stop. The foolish man had finally said 'I love you' and it was at the most inopportune moment. Still, despite everything that had happened, she knew Snape and she knew how serious he was. If it wasn't important, he wouldn't have come to her like that.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Ava quickly pulled on a t-shirt and jeans before quietly sneaking out of the room. Draco was snoring so loud that she was certain she could have started singing at the top of her lungs and he wouldn't have noticed. Making a mental note, she reminded herself to find an anti-snoring potion for him later. After the maze of hallways, Ava finally found the front door and crept out, sneaking in the shadows until she was far enough away from the house to run. The closer she got the more clearly she could make out the familiar silhouette of Snape who was pacing pack and forth in an effort to stay warm.

"Come here, quick," he whispered, pulling her into his arms when she got close enough. "Hold onto me," he instructed, looking down at her. Apprehensively, Ava wrapped her arms tightly around his waist as the scenery began swirling around them. She had only apparated one time successfully in her sixth year and she still wasn't used to the feeling of being sucked through the eye of a needle. Within a second the pair landed on solid ground once more and Ava immediately recognized Hogwarts standing just off in the distance. Before she could open her mouth Snape grabbed her hand and was pulling her towards the castle at a quick pace.

"I know you don't have a lot of time if you decide you want to go back," he said as they entered the castle and hurried down the familiar corridors. "But you need to see this."

"What, exactly, do I need to see?" she asked, a little too loudly. The sound of her own voice sounded somewhat foreign to her as she had yet to speak during their meeting, but Snape merely shook his head in response and continued dragging her deeper into the dungeons. Once outside the potion lab, Snape opened the door and pulled her towards the office where she could see a faint shimmer of light radiating through the crack in the doorway.

"Come here," he said quickly, pulling her into the office and standing her in front of the large, white basin that had been placed on his desk. Without another word, Snape put his wand to his temple and slowly pulled it away, retrieving a thin, silver strand as he did. He immediately put the memory into the bowl and it began swirling quickly, almost as though trying to escape. "Have you seen one of these before?" he asked, pointing to the bowl. "No," Ava replied, "but I know what it is."

"Good, then come here. Take my hand," he said quietly, lacing his fingers with hers. Snape leaned forward and with a second the pair was standing back at the Malfoy Manor, though Ava was absent. She immediately realized where and when she was, looking back and forth at each one of the men.

"Ava certainly is easy on the eyes, now isn't she?" she heard Lucius say, catching her attention. Ava walked closely to him, staring at the older man that was almost a spitting image of Draco. She watched quietly as the conversation went on and Snape moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"So now, down to the important stuff… How many and who have you got on the side?" Lucius asked, causing Ava's heart to jump into her throat. She had never even thought of the idea that he would have betrayed her like that. She would have never guessed that he would do something like that to her. He had said he loved her. Closing her eyes, she prayed the response was a good one.

"Just two at the moment… Two, other than Ava." Draco responded. That was all she heard before her knees gave out and she felt herself heading towards the floor. Tears came quickly, though she never hit the ground as Snape had caught her and was holding her up. Figuring she had seen enough, Snape pulled them out of the memory and back into his office, though Ava had not the slightest idea he had done so. Leading her to his nearby desk chair, Snape pulled her onto his lap as she sobbed into his chest, feeling her heart shatter into a million pieces. It was more than she could handle at the moment. Both men in her life had betrayed her more than she could have ever imagined, though she blamed herself for having put herself in that position.

"I'm so sorry Ava," Snape whispered, wrapping his arms around her even tighter. He kissed the top of her head and inhaled deeply, smelling her familiar scent as he always did and feeling it penetrate through every cell in his body. "Ava, I know what I did today was irreprehensible, but I have also kept something from you for far too long. I love you, Ava Coombs. I always have and I always will. It can't change what I did, or that I lied to you, but you have to understand that I did it out of selfishness and out of my desire to be with you."

For the first time that evening Ava looked at him properly, albeit through watery eyes. There was no doubt that he meant every word he had just said to her and there was no doubt that she felt the same way, despite everything that had gone on. Emotions like that aren't shut on and off and this was no exception. Ava studied him carefully before she cleared her throat as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Say it to me again, and look me in the eye. Tell me that you want me to be yours and that you love me. Tell me you need me," she said seriously with an almost pleading look in her eyes. Snape did exactly what he was asked and stared at her intently, his arms still wrapped tightly around her waist.

"I love you more than you will ever know and I have, and always will, need you Ava Coombs," he said seriously, gently touching her cheek as he did. While it wasn't the response he expected, Ava burst into tears once more and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face into his chest.

"I… love… you… too…" she wailed through her tears, though doing her best to choke them back. "I love you Severus Snape and I will always need you too," she finished, calming down enough to lean back and look at him once more.

"Stay here with me my love," he asked, desperate to fall asleep with her. "Please, Ava, you belong here with me. I need you to be here with me. I need to feel your love," he said gently, surprising himself at his own tenderness. It was as though someone had opened the floodgates though and he suddenly felt the urge to tell her everything he had ever felt, thought, or experienced in his entire life; and in that moment Severus Snape knew he had found the one for him.

A small sliver of light was peaking through the curtain that was covering the tiny window by the ceiling. The position of the sun just so happened to make the light fall across the bed and over Ava's eyes, causing her to stir slightly as she woke up. She kept her eyes closed as she regained her bearings, feeling the warmth of Snape's arm s around her and the steady pulse of his chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm. The two had immediately fallen asleep the night before and Ava had curled up against him, almost as though she was trying to melt into him if possible. Rolling over gently, she kept herself in his arms but turned so that she was facing him and could rest her head against his chest. She had done her best to not wake him, but as soon as she had gotten comfortable Snape's eyes fluttered open and he blinked wearily as he looked down at her.

"Good morning, my love. I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it is waking up with you," he muttered, using one of his hands to rub at his eyes and get the sleep out of them. When he was finished he pulled her closer and wrapped both arms tightly around her neck as he kissed the top of her head. "What do you want for breakfast?" he asked, rolling onto his back and pulling her on top of him. Ava grinned and looked up at him sweetly from her spot on his chest.

"Hmmm…" she mused, tapping her chin as though she were deep in thought. "I don't know, what would you like? Eggs?" she asked, using her finger to lightly trace a design on his chest as she thought. "I could have eggs… Or maybe waffles?" she continued, glancing up at him once more.

"Whatever you want sounds delicious to me. I'll call a house elf if you want?" he asked, sitting up as she followed his movements. Wrapping the sheet around her, Ava climbed off the bed and held it close with one hand as she stretched widely, arching and twisting her back around. Snape sat motionless on the bed, watching her every move. She was the type of girl that drew in a man's gaze, though never had any idea that she was doing so. Innocent and naïve as to what she was doing, she opened the sheet to adjust it before wrapping it around her once more. "Why don't you hop in the shower love?" he said, motioning to the bathroom door. "You get in the tub and I'll be there in a minute," he said with a smirk, raising his eyebrows as he did in an attempt to be playfully seductive. Ava stared grinning at the man on the bed, who had once been so cold and fierce, who was now joking and making humorous gestures with her. Shaking her head, Ava traipsed into the bathroom and let the towel drop before she quickly closed the door leaving an exasperated, yet slightly aroused, Snape gapping at the door.

Ava turned the water on and pulled a few jars off the shelf, opening the lids and sniffing each one until she found a pleasing scent. A few drops of the liquid turned the water a translucent, shimmering silver and filled the room almost instantly with a relaxing, yet seductive, scent. Ava tested the water with her toes before slipping into the oversized claw foot tub that stood proudly in the center of the wall. Leaning her head back, she rested it on the tub wall and closed her eyes, letting the intoxicating scent infiltrate her senses as she slipped into an almost meditative state. A loud bang in the other room caught her attention though, snapping her out of her trance and causing her to sit upright quickly. "Severus?" she called out, listening carefully for a response. "Is everything okay out there?" An answer didn't come, but a series of muffled voices made their way into the bathroom. Straining to see if she could make out what they were saying, Ava slumped down in the tub and leaned towards the door straining to hear. Another loud bang sent her flying towards the wall as the bathroom door flew open and Ava instinctually covered herself up as best she could. A look of horror spread across her face as the all too familiar figure came stalking into the room with a malicious grin on his face.

"Headmaster! Come quick, she's in here! I told you they were sleeping with each other!" Draco yelled over his shoulder.


End file.
